Calling All Angels
by JillMH
Summary: Why does the good girl always want the bad boy? Edward is a major league baseball player for the Angels. He is a two-faced, cocky ass, bastard. Bella is a strong, independent, coordinated, college softball player. Co-authored by hopelessromantic09. AH AU.
1. Animals

Ch. 1: Animals

**Disclaimer: We do not own Twilight or the Angels.**

**A/N: Hello loves!! We're back, A Dinosaur's Story!! Just kidding! Does anybody actually remember that movie? Anyways, this is our second story. Thanks to hgbkwrm for betaing this story and canibeyourmemory for letting us bounce ideas off of them. There is a quote in here, as in our other story. **

**BPOV**

"Alice, you know nobody ever wins those things. I don't even know why you bother." My roommate, Alice was convinced that she was going to win this contest on the radio from KCAL to get free tickets to an Angel's game, a meet and greet with three of their players, and the opportunity to throw the first pitch of the game.

"Bella, I just have this feeling that I'm going to win and you know that every time I have 'the feeling,' it always happens." We were driving back to our little house in Yorba Linda, a small city in Orange County, CA. Alice had just come from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, or FIDM, to pick up Rosalie and me up from California State University Fullerton.

"It's true," Rosalie agreed with Alice. "Her little premonitions are always correct."

"There's a dial tone!" Alice squealed as she drove one-handed.

I was still skeptical, "And the next thing you'll hear id the click as they hang up on you."

We were listening to KCAL with Daryl. "96.7 KCAL, what's your name and where're you calling from?"

The scream that erupted from Alice's tiny frame was deafening. "This is Alice and I'm calling from Yorba Linda!"

"What are you doing right now?"

"I'm driving my two best friends home from school!"

"Right on, right on. Well, you're caller 96, so you get the tickets to the game this Sunday."

"That is so awesome!"

"Tell all the listeners out there what station is sending you and two friends to the Angel's game this Sunday."

"96.7, KCAL rocks!!"

"No, you rock!"

"No, you rock!"

"No, you rock!"

I couldn't believe she had actually won. I should have known never to bet against Alice.

"Told you," Rose quipped.

"Yeah, yeah."

Rosalie and Alice were my two best friends. We have known each other since we were in diapers. My parents, Charlie and Reneé, are friends with their parents, Carlisle and Esme. Alice was small with short black hair that stuck up in every direction. Rosalie was the epitome of perfection. She is tall and statuesque with blonde hair that hung in perfect waves down to the middle of her back. They were both adopted by Carlisle and Esme when they were babies. Our parents had set up play dates for us from the time we were in diapers. We grew up in a small town in Washington State called Forks.

After we all graduated from high school, Alice decided to come to California to pursue her dream as a fashion merchandiser. Rosalie decided to follow her down here to go to school for engineering. She may be beautiful, but she was definitely not stupid. Rose was smart and dominating in a field predominantly ruled by the male population. As for myself, I am a softball player with the hope of, someday, making it to the Olympics. I have played ever since I was five years old and continued throughout high school. I didn't start pitching until I had been playing for a couple years. Once I started, I couldn't stop. When I step on the mound, everything just falls into place and I feel at home. I was able to get a full ride scholarship to Cal State Fullerton and am the starting pitcher for the school's team.

After Alice had gotten the details on where to pick up the tickets, she hung up the phone and started planning what she was going to wear. The three of us had always been baseball fans because our dads were always glued in front of the TV whenever the Angels played. We grew up loving them and didn't just jump on the band wagon after they won the World Series in 2002. After moving down to Yorba Linda for college, it was all too easy to go to the games now. "I'm going to wear the pink jersey that I got last time. Bella, I know you hate it, but you have to let Rose and I help you get ready."

I whined, "Ali, do you have to? Why can't I dress myself for once?"

"Because we are going to be meeting the three best Angels players!"

"No, I'm not going to do it."

"If you let me do it this once, I promise you can have a reprieve from Bella Barbie for the next month."

"Two months," I bargained

"A month and a half and no more. Take it or leave it."

"Fine, deal. Pinkie promise." We stuck out our pinkies and linked them together. We may be twenty years old, but we still had some of our childhood tendencies.

Now that Alice has her tickets, we turned the radio to our usual radio station, KIIS, and started singing along with all the songs. Soon enough, we arrived back at our little house. It was a three bedroom, three bathroom home. There was a large backyard for Mo to run around in, which was a must and it was a quiet neighborhood. It wasn't much, but it was home. Mo must've heard us pull up because howling could be heard from behind the closed door. I grabbed my softball bag from the back of Alice's yellow Porsche 911 Turbo and headed up the walkway to the door. I unlocked the door and was greeted by Mo. He was my graduation present from my dad with the hope of "protecting me". He did his job and, on more than one occasion, my Husky has helped me get rid of scumbags. It took a while for him to warm up to people, but once he did, he was your friend for life.

"Hey Buddy!" Mo answered with a traditional Husky talking. He followed me from the front room up to my room to drop my bag off. I walked back downstairs and plopped down on the couch next to Rose, Mo at my feet. Alice was on the floor with a bunch of magazines and a pair of scissors in front of her working on a project for one of her classes.

"So, how was practice today?" Alice asked as she found a picture and cut it out.

"Eh, same old, same old. I worked with Nicole again today. I've been having trouble with my slider, so she was helping me with that." Nicole DiSalvio has been my pitching coach for the past few years. She is eccentric, outgoing, and a little crazy, but I couldn't have found a better pitching coach if I tried. We sat talking about the game that was coming up in two days.

After about an hour, I got up to go start making dinner. I wanted something simple, so I made spaghetti, Clearman's bread, and Caesar salad. Mo had, once again, followed me and was lying in the middle of the kitchen. I loved being in the kitchen, it always relaxed me after a long day at school. Alice and Rosalie both knew to never offer to help in the kitchen because I preferred to cook alone. Not long after I started, I was calling them in to eat.

**EPOV**

"What the fuck, James!" I yelled as I jogged after the ball that James threw away. We were working on the pickle situation, where a runner gets caught between two bases and the defense attempts to tag him out. The douche bag made a rookie mistake and threw the ball miles over my head so I was unable to reach it.

"Let's run it again!" Coach called.

Everyone was getting antsy in anticipation to go home so we were making mistakes that we shouldn't.

"Come on guys!! As soon as we get through this play we can go home! Get it together!"

John Lackey, the pitcher, threw another, hopefully last, pitch to Bengie Molina, the catcher. Shawn Wooten, the runner, took off from first, in an attempt to steal second. James was covering second as Bengie threw the ball down to him. He caught it and Wooten turned around to try to go back to first. James "attempted" to throw the ball to me, but, once again, it went sailing over my head, allowing Wooten to successfully steal second.

"God damn it, James! How hard is it to make a throw from second to first?! Its ninety fucking feet!"

"CULLEN! BENCH! NOW!" Coach Griffin yelled.

"WHAT?! Why?!" I threw up my hands in aggravation.

"Because you don't know how to keep your damn mouth shut! If you keep arguing, you can forget about starting this weekend. Scott is more than willing to fill in for you." Scott Spiezio and I traded off starting games at first base. This weekend, it was my turn to start and there was no way in hell I wasn't going to not start this weekend. I parked my sorry ass on the bench and sulked like a two year old. The only good thing about being benched was not having to deal with James. Just thinking his name sent shivers through my body.

James was newly recruited to the team this year. He played minor league for The Lake Elsinore Storm before he was signed with the Angels. Honestly, I have no idea in hell how Artie Moreno, the owner of the team, thought James would be an asset to the team.

I watched the rest of the team continue to practice the play. It fucking pissed me off to no end when James threw a perfect throw right into Spiezio's glove. "Fuck," I muttered under my breath. I stood up from the bench after the rest of the team went to the locker room. James was the last one in and I followed after him. The coaches never came into the locker room after practice, so I took advantage of my opportunity.

I shoved James from behind and took joy in watching him stumble over his own feet.

"What the-? Oh, it's just you," he spat.

"What the fuck was that?!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said as he kept walking.

"The hell you don't. You made me look like an ass with your little stunt out there. Why did you do it?"

"You need to be benched, you arrogant son of a bitch."

"Who the hell are you, telling me when I should or shouldn't be benched. That is none of your damn business. What have I ever done to you?" I asked, incredulously.

"Oh, gee, I don't know. Maybe it's the fact that you just shoved me."

"That was one time and besides that, I've never touched you. Hell, I barely _talk_ to you."

"Just watch your back, Cullen." With that, James walked into the locker room like our whole conversation never happened.

I was fuming on the inside as I stalked into the locker room. Thankfully, my locker was on the opposite side of James'. I sat down on the bench, my elbows on my knees and my head in my hands.

"What's up, Man?" my friend, Emmett, asked. Emmett was tall and built like a tank with short, curly dark hair. He may look intimidating, but he was almost like a teddy bear.

"Fucking James," I said, loud enough for said person to hear.

"Ah, no need to say anymore."

Just then, my other friend, Jasper came up asking what was up.

"James," Emmett and I said in unison.

"Ah." Jasper was tall and thin, but still muscular. He had long, shaggy blonde hair.

The three of us made up one-third of the starting line-up. Emmett played third base, Jasper took over center field, and I was in charge of first base.

Once I had cooled down, I changed back into my jeans and white, short-sleeved shirt and ran my hand through my hair a few times, making it messier than usual. I threw my riding jacket over my arm, while my helmet was tucked under the same arm. My Ducati was my baby. I splurged on it after my first year with the Angels. I have a shiny, silver Volvo that my parents got me as a graduation present after high school. I still drive it, but I prefer my Ducati. It's a Superbike 1198 in a blood red color.

The three of us walked out of the locker room like the fucking Three Musketeers. All we needed was our theme song playing in the background, _Animals_.

We walked to our vehicles, it was an unspoken rule among the team that nobody was to park in "our" spots except us. Jasper has his 1966 Mustang that he restored himself. Emmett has his behemoth of a jeep. And, of course, I had my Ducati. All our vehicles just happened to be red.

"What time is the game tomorrow?" Emmett asked.

"The game starts at 7:05 so we need to be here by 3." Jasper replied.

"Alright, see you guys tomorrow." I zipped up my riding jacket, threw on my helmet, hopped on my bike, and sped off. All I wanted was a good night's sleep.

**BPOV**

Saturday morning, I woke up early and took Mo for a walk. Every Saturday morning, Mo and I would walk down to Juice Stop and get a Half-Nelson. Every once in a while, Alice and Rose would join us. Today was one of those days. We set out for the two mile run at seven in the morning.

"Oh it's so pretty out today!" Alice exclaimed with a big smile playing across her face.

"Yes it is. What are you so excited about?" I asked.

"Um, hello! Tomorrow we get to go to the Angel game!"

"I know. I can't wait. Charlie is going to be so jealous that we get to go."

"Yes he will, along with Carlisle. They can sit at home in rainy Forks watching it on a small screen, while we get to actually be there." Rose added.

It took us about twenty minutes to get to Juice Stop. I stayed outside with Mo while Alice and Rose ordered our drinks and pretzels. I found an empty table, tied Mo's leash to my chair leg and sat down, enjoying the sun beating down on me.

"Here we go, three Half-Nelsons, coming up!" Alice exclaimed as she and Rosalie emerged from the shop, drinks in hand.

"Thank you, Ali." They plopped down into the seats next to me, sipping their drinks.

"So, I was thinking about your outfit for tomorrow. We're going to put you in that jersey that we got from the last game, denim shorts, and your white Converse. Rose will do your hair so it will be in soft waves and I will do light makeup; just mascara, eye liner, and lip gloss. What do you think?" Alice asked with enthusiasm.

"Sounds good. I'm just looking forward to this being the last time I'm going to have to play Bella Barbie for a month and a half."

"Don't be such a poop," Rose said.

"What are our plans today?" I asked in an attempt to change the topic from my demise.

"I have to finish that project I was working on for my design class," Alice said.

"I'm going to work on my car." Rosalie was restoring a blue 1966 Mustang. It was her baby and if Alice or I even got near it, she was sure to throw a fit. We both knew what Rose was capable of and didn't want to chance it.

Their plans left me with the perfect opportunity to practice my pitching. "I was thinking about calling someone to catch for me so I could work on my slider. I'm determined to have it down before the next game on Tuesday. Are you guys coming?" I asked as I took a bite of my pretzel.

"Of course, when have we ever missed one of your games?"

"Never." It was true; ever since I started playing softball when I was five, Ali and Rose had been there to support me. I don't know why I ever doubted them. They always came through for me.

We sat and talked until our drinks were long gone. Mo was more than pleased when I gave him pieces of the pretzel. On our way back to the house, we took it easy and walked. Once we stepped into the house, we split off to our designated destinations: Rose to the garage, Alice to her room to work on her project, and me to the kitchen to call someone to catch for me.

I picked up the phone and dialed the one person who I knew would always say yes. He picked up on the first ring. "Hello?"

"Hey! It's me. Would you mind meeting me at Travis Ranch Park to catch for me?

"Yeah, no problem. When?"

"Can you be there in fifteen minutes?"

"Can do. See you there."

"See ya."

I hung up the phone and ran upstairs to grab my bag and headed out to my car. When I graduated, my parents, Charlie and Renée got me a GMC Acadia. They were proud that I kept a 4.0 GPA while taking advanced classes and still playing softball.

I sped over to the park and was, luckily, able to find an open softball field to practice on. I grabbed my glove and a ball and tossed it up and caught it while I waited. Five minutes later, my catcher caught sight of me. "Hey Bella!" He had his bag of catching gear slung over his shoulder. I ran up to him and gave him a hug.

"Hey, how have you been?"

"Good. How 'bout you?" He asked as he put his bag down and started taking his gear out.

"Just trying to get through college. How's the team doing?"

"I think we're doing better than we did last year. I have a feeling that we're going to win the World Series this year."

I scoffed, "Yeah right, the Angels have it in the bag. Have you seen their record for this season? They're 4-0 so far."

"That's going to change tomorrow. We're going to kill them."

"Oh, speaking of the game tomorrow, Ali, Rose and I are going."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Alice won tickets on the radio yesterday. We get to do a meet and greet with three of the players and then Alice gets to throw the first pitch."

"That little pixie has the best luck ever, doesn't she?"

"Yes, she does."

He finished putting his chest protector on and tucked his helmet under his arm. "All set."

I tossed him the ball. He caught it with ease and threw it back as he backed up to put more distance between us. We threw the yellow ball back and forth a few times before I determined my arm was sufficiently warmed up. "You warm?"

"Yup."

He crouched as I walked back to him and stood two feet in front of him to do my wrist flips. I backed up so I was forty feet away from him and did my windmill warm ups soon after that. "Alright, I'm warmed up now."

"Go for it," he said as he put his helmet on.

I walked to the mound, which was forty-five feet from the plate and threw a few fastballs, change ups, screwballs, curves, rises, and drops. Before I would throw the pitch, I would call the placement on the plate, "Drop outside!" My catcher responded by dropping his glove and moving it to the outside of the plate. I did that for each pitch and, each time, I hit my targets.

"You ready to try that slider?"

I took a deep breath and agreed, "Yeah." I stepped onto the mound again and attempted the pitch. The first one I threw landed in the dirt.

"Just try it again," he encouraged.

Pitch number two didn't go so well, either. I got it out of the dirt, but was too far outside. He threw the ball back and I tried it again. The ball spun down the middle of the plate but didn't break enough. Obviously third time wasn't the charm. By now, I was getting frustrated. I took another deep breath and set up for the pitch once again. This time, I accidentally released too late and the ball sailed over his head. "Argh! I'm never going to get this."

"Just relax, Bella. You're thinking about this too much. Breathe."

I did as he said and attempted it one last time.

"Finally!" The ball appeared as though it were going to head straight down the middle of the plate. At the last second, it broke to the left and dropped so it would have been just below the batter's knees. A perfect slider. "I'm stopping on that note."

He stood up and I ran up to him and embraced him in a hug. "That last pitch was perfect! Did you see it?"

"Of course I saw it, I was behind the plate. I think my catching expertise helped also," he added, an arrogant air to his voice.

I shoved him playfully, "You are so full of yourself, Jake."

**A/N: Thanks for reading. The song in this chapter is "Animals" by Nickelback, it's extremely dirty but oh so good! Ok, Clearman's bread is the BEST bread to have with spaghetti! It's a cheese spread that you put on sourdough bread, it's SO good! I don't know if they have it anywhere else besides Southern California but if you find it, you HAVE to try it. If anybody has any questions on baseball or softball or whatever, don't hesitate to ask. We'll be alternating updates between this story and LRTS, so each story will probably be updated once a week. Thanks for reading!! Reviews are greatly appreciated!!**


	2. Author's Note

**A/N: Sorry to deceive you guys into thinking this was a new chapter but it's just an author's note but please read this. For those who may not have heard, Nick Adenhart, a rookie pitcher for the Angels, was killed early this morning. It's really hard to write a story about baseball right now because the story does revolve around the Angels. We have started the next chapter but we can not get into it right now because our thoughts keep going to him. We just need a couple days to get back on track. This incident has affected everybody so much that they cancelled the game today. Please keep him and his family in your thoughts and prayers as well as the others involved. We aren't doing this as an excuse to not write, please just understand that. It's too hard to put into words. Thank you for understanding. We'll try to write LRTS for those who follow that story but we need some time before we can continue with this story. For those who are following LRTS we will write another chapter for that story before we update this story. WE ARE BY NO MEANS PUTTING THIS STORY ON HIATUS, WE JUST NEED A FEW DAYS TO GET IN THE RIGHT MINDSET. Thanks again. **


	3. Hush Hush

Ch. 2: Hush Hush

**A/N: Hey everybody!! Okay, we are so sorry that this took so long to get out, but we really have no idea where this story is going yet, so it took a little time to figure out what we wanted to happen in this chapter. Anyway, a huge thank you to our beta, hgbkwrm, for editing this for you guys, even when she was sick. Thank you for the author/story alerts, favorite stories/authors, and reviews. We really appreciate it. The quote in the last chapter was "Don't be such a poop" from Sixteen Candles. FYI: There is no quote in this chapter. The next chapter will have one, so sorry to those who enjoy our little scavenger hunt.**

**EPOV**

I woke up the next morning from a restless sleep, as usual. I looked at the clock and saw that it was only six o'clock. I had nine hours before I had to be at the stadium for our pre-game practice. First stop: coffee run. I drove down to the Starbucks at Lake Mission Viejo. It was a little farther than the one by my house, but I enjoyed the serenity the lake had to offer.

After grabbing my coffee I walked down to the lake and decided to take a seat on one of the benches and people watch. It was still early in the morning but the lake was full of people getting their exercise in. There were women with strollers, exercise groups, elderly couples taking a leisurely stroll, and a young woman with light brown hair who was jogging. _Hmm, she could be fun._

I caught her eye as she was directly across the lake from me and held her gaze until she looked away. As she came closer to my bench, I caught her gaze again and gave her my irresistible, or so I've been told, crooked smile. This got a small giggle from her as she continued on. I looked down but only to feel that somebody was staring at me. As I looked up, I saw the same girl staring at me but as soon as I caught her staring, she looked away quickly. _This really could be fun. Time to put on the charm._

As she came back around the lake towards me, I turned my entire body towards her and just watched her until she stopped a few feet away from the bench. I motioned for her to move forward using my index finger. She came without any hesitation and took a seat beside me. She had a shit eating grin on her face and right then I knew she'd do anything I asked of her. _Let's see how far she'd go for me._

"Hello. How are you this morning?" I asked, once again putting on my famous smile. Her grin seemed to grow wider by the second.

"Hi, I'm doing fantastic!! How 'bout yourself?" She was very enthusiastic for the early hour.

"I'm doing great now that there's a gorgeous woman in front of me." It was a cheesy line but she ate that shit up, meaning that I wouldn't have to try so hard with her. She mumbled her thanks and a coy smile spread across her face.

I held my hand out for her to shake. "I'm Edward Cullen." Her face lit up with recognition at the mention of my name and the shit eating grin was back. She grabbed my hand and shook it, "I'm Jessica Stanley."

"Well Jessica, I know this is very fast but I was wondering if you would like to join me for breakfast this morning."

Of course, there was no hesitation when she answered. "I would love to."

I stood up and offered her my hand. "Come with me."

The look on her face seemed to say that she'd go anywhere with me. _Good because I had plans for us later. _I held her hand in mine as I took her to a little café overlooking the lake.

Throughout the entire meal, she looked at me like I was a fucking God. This was good for me; it meant she would go _very_ far for me. We'll see how that goes later tonight. After the meal was over we walked back, hand in hand, to the lake to go to our respective vehicles. At her car, she turned to me and the coy smile was back as she spoke to me.

"So, I had a really nice time with you."

"I had a really nice time with you too. I was wondering, if you weren't busy or anything, if you'd like to have dinner tonight." I had this girl wrapped around my finger, so it was no shock when she gave me her answer.

"I'd love to!!"

"After the game, I'll come pick you up."

"Great!" After she gave me her address, I walked back to my car and knew that this was the type of girl that wouldn't say no, even if I asked her to jump off a building for me.

That little adventure had killed two hours but that still left me with seven hours till I had to be at the field. I had no idea what to do with all that time so I just decided to go home. As soon as I stepped inside the door the phone rang. I walked quickly over to the receiver and picked it up on the fourth ring. "Hello?"

"Hey man. What's up?"

"Hey Emmett. Not much. What are you doing?"

"Oh you know, nothing much, just trying to maintain homeostasis."

I rolled my eyes at his answer, that was code for 'nothing'. It irritated me to get ridiculous answers like that and I let it show in my tone. "Okay, so why did you call?"

He snorted, "Well Mr. Happy Pants, I was just wondering if you wanted to head down to the gym with Jasper and I. We don't have to be at the field for awhile and I figured a good workout would help to pass the time."

I didn't have anything else to do so I figured, 'what the hell?' "Sure I'll meet you guys there in a little bit."

"'Kay. Later, bro."

"Later." I hung up the phone and walked up the stairs to get a change of clothes and my gym bag. The gym was a good place to pass the time, why didn't I think to go there?

As soon as I pulled up at the gym, I immediately spotted the Jeep and the Mustang parked next to each other. I pulled into the spot next to the jeep and grabbed my bag from the back.

I walked in and headed back to the locker room to put my stuff away and change. As I walked in, I saw Emmett and Jasper just getting ready to change into their clothes. Jasper spotted me first. He gave me a nod and said "Hey man."

"Hey. Looks like I didn't get here too late then."

"Nope we just got here a few minutes before you did."

"And we've already scoured the place and there are a bunch of hot chicks here waiting for us to sweep them off their feet," Emmett wiggled his eyebrows at the thought.

"Emmett, half the girls here probably wouldn't go for you because they're already in relationships." Jasper was always the more logical one out of the three of us and thought with his brain rather than his lower half.

"Yeah well they may want to be with real men for once."

"And if they did, they would look right over you and go for the guy standing next to you that doesn't act like a complete idiot." I added.

"You're just jealous because girls find me more attractive than you."

"Uh huh, sure they do. Next, you're going to tell me that you're the King."

"I am: of baseball."

"And what are we? Your entourage?"

"Precisely."

"You wish."

"Alright ladies, let's hit the weights." Jasper said. During the little arguments that Emmett and I got into, Jasper always seemed to play referee.

The three of us finished changing and left the locker room. We made our way over to one of the benches. "Who's going to spot me?" Emmett asked as he began throwing weights onto the bar.

"I'll do it as long as you don't try to impress the ladies by overdoing it."

"I told you I could have handled it."

"Right," I said sarcastically. "Then would you mind telling me why you couldn't push the weights off your chest causing your face to turn a lovely shade of purple?" I asked, knowing he didn't have an acceptable answer.

"I was just messing around. You know I can bench way more than 250."

"Just start off slow, ok? We don't want any unnecessary trips to the emergency room." I told him.

"Fine. Whatever." He finished putting the weights on the bar and lay down on the bench. I stood behind him and made sure he didn't have any trouble with the weight. Thankfully, he was doing fine. Jasper was off doing some other exercises. We rotated between different exercises and after three hours, we decided to call it a day.

"I'm starving!" Emmett exclaimed as we headed back into the locker room to shower and change.

"Emmett, you're always hungry," Jasper said, sounding a little annoyed. Emmett had a tendency to proclaim starvation at least five times a day.

"What? I'm a growing boy, I can't help it."

"You're twenty-three; I think you're done growing."

"That's not what my mom says."

"Do you always listen to your mommy?"

"Of course, if I didn't, she'd beat my ass."

I chuckled as I pictured his mom beating him up. It was pretty comical.

We had decided to go to Cinnamon Productions for lunch. We talked a little bit about the game that was happening later that night.

"Do you guys have any idea as to who we are supposed to meet tonight?" Edward asked.

"I have no idea, but I can almost guarantee that they're going to be three middle aged guys with beer-bellies and balding heads," Emmett sighed. He and I shuddered at the thought.

"Chill out, guys. They're fans; the least we can do is show them how much we appreciate their loyalty," Jasper reprimanded.

"Leave it to Jasper to be the diplomat in this situation," I said as I finished up my lunch.

"Someone's gotta keep the peace between you two buffoons," he defended.

"Anyway, you guys ready for our postgame party?" Emmett asked. After every home game, the three of us would go to the TGI Friday's at the Block in Orange to celebrate, whether we won the game or not. It was an unspoken tradition that we kept to under any circumstances. The only exception was if we were travelling right after the game.

"Sorry, guys, no can do." I said simply.

"WHAT?!" they yelled in unison.

"I said I can't go."

"Why not?" they asked at the same time.

"Do you guys practice that, or what? I can't go because I have a date."

"Fuck the date. You have to be there, it's tradition!" Emmett yelled, slamming his cup on the table.

"Sorry, can't break my promise. What would she think of me?"

"I'm sure she'd understand if you told her you had to reschedule. Why would you plan a date when you know about Friday's?"

"I can't reschedule, I don't have her number. It slipped my mind. It's one time; you're not going to die without me there."

"We might," Emmett added.

"Yeah, I'm sure you're just going to drop dead right in the middle of drinking your beer."

"Hey, it could happen. You never know," Emmett said.

"I'm sorry, ok? What more do you want me to say?"

"Emmett, just drop it. We can still celebrate without him," Jasper said, acting like the mediator once again.

Thankfully, they did drop the subject and we left the restaurant shortly after. When I got home, I sat down at my piano and began stroking the keys. Eventually, the tune morphed into the song I wrote for my mother, Elizabeth. Playing the piano always relaxed me, and after the small argument at lunch, I definitely needed to cool down.

Once I considered myself calm enough, I tried to find something to do to pass the time before I had to be at the stadium. We were playing the Los Angeles Dodgers today, so I studied up on their players' weaknesses. I absolutely loathed their starting catcher, Jacob Black. He and I had actually played Little League together and we were the best of friends if one could believe it. Once high school came around, we went to different schools and hung out with different people. Eventually, we became enemies on the field.

An hour later, I hopped into my Volvo and raced to the field. Normally, I would've taken my Ducati, but I had to pick up-what was her name again? Jenna? No. Jennifer? Definitely not. Jessica! Hah, I got it!-for our date. During the ride there, I prepared myself to meet the three fans and answer any questions they had. There was no doubt in my mind that these guys would probably be freaking out at the chance to meet three of the best Angels players. Who could blame them? Emmett, Jasper and I were the shit.

**BPOV**

"Come on, Bella! Hurry up!" Alice called from downstairs.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" I yelled back. "Can she be anymore annoying?" I asked out loud to no one in particular. Or so I thought. Mo answered my question with a whine, which I laughed at. I completed my outfit by lacing up my white Converse. Alice had forced me to wear my Angels replica jersey and denim shorts. She did try to force me into a pair of heels before she realized it would make me look like a S.W.F. Translation: Single White Female, which we were, but we didn't want the whole stadium to think we were looking to "get some". I grabbed my bag and headed down the stairs, Mo at my heels. "Alright, I'm ready." Alice was wearing her pink jersey, as promised, and Rosalie was wearing a replica jersey with "McCarty" and his number embroidered on the back. We were all wearing denim shorts and white Converse.

"Took you long enough. Let's go, I don't want to be late. Move, move, move!" Alice yelled.

"Yes, Ma'am," I answered with a salute as I walked out the door. We all hopped into my car and were off to the game. Alice and Rosalie were on the lookout for other people who they thought were going to the game. We rolled down the windows and blasted the radio, singing along with every song we knew.

Alice couldn't sit still in her seat. It almost reminded me of the energizer bunny on crack. "Alice, calm down."

"I can't, I'm too excited! I just have this feeling that something good is going to happen at the game tonight, and I want to find out what it is."

"Okay, but that's still not a good enough reason to be bouncing in your seat." Just then, something dawned on me. "Alice?"

"Yes?"

"You had coffee, didn't you?" I accused.

She looked away, out the window, "No, what would make you think that?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe it's the fact that you can't sit still and you keep fidgeting."

"No, I didn't have coffee, Bella."

"Yes, she did," Rose said from the back seat.

Alice gasped and turned around in her seat so fast, she was a blur. "Traitor!" she screamed. "You said you wouldn't tell her!"

"That was before you decided to go all psycho on us. And, I warned you that if you started getting on my nerves, I was going to tell Bella, so it's your fault for taking that risk." Rose said with finality.

Alice turned around in her seat with a huff. "You're still a traitor," she muttered.

"Am not," Rose countered.

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Stop it!" I intervened. "What are you guys? Two year olds? "They kept going a few more rounds before inspiration hit. "If you guys don't stop, I will turn this car around and you will not be able to meet the guys." That got them to shut up.

Shortly after their banter ceased, we arrived at the stadium. Alice nearly bolted out of the car to get to the ticket booth, where we were to pick up our tickets and passes. "I think she's a little excited," I said.

"I'll say," Rose agreed. By the time she and I caught up to Alice, she was waiting for us by the security check, tickets and passes in hand.

"We have to go to the Team Store to show them our passes. Someone is going to lead us to a private meeting room, where we will meet the guys. Once the meet and greet is over, we'll be led to one of the suites for the game. I'm so excited!!!" she squealed, causing me to cover my ears.

"I just have one request for you, Alice."

"And what would that be, Bella?"

"Please, no caffeine. We don't want another repeat performance from the car."

"Deal." We pinkie promised and headed to the Team Store to show them our passes.

We walked into the store and all we saw was a sea of red. They offered everything from shirts and jackets to mugs and bumper stickers and everything in between. Alice walked right up to the cash register and explained that she had won the contest and we were there to meet the guys.

"Of course, just let me get somebody to lead you over to the meeting room. JASON!" the woman called. A tall guy with long, dirty blonde hair came over with a smile on his face.

"Yes?" he asked.

"These young ladies are here to do the meet and greet with the guys. Could you show them to the meeting room please?"

"Sure no problem." He turned to us and said "This way please." He held his arm out to allow us go first. He had a great smile and it seemed to be a permanent fixture on his face.

Alice was the first one out the door and she was jumping up and down clapping. "Oh my gosh!! I'm so excited!"

Jason laughed at her and turned to me. "Wow. She really does seem excited about this. I've never seen anyone so thrilled to see some guys."

"Yeah well she feels like something good is going to happen tonight and she's really anxious to see what that is." Again, he smiled and it was infectious, I couldn't help but smile back at him.

As we walked, there were humongous posters of all the Angels players throughout the stadium. After walking for a little while longer he stopped and turned to all of us, "Well, here we are." He opened the door for us and we walked into the room. There was a long table with many chairs surrounding it and couches along the wall.

"Wow!! Can you believe it?" Alice asked, her voice full of eagerness.

"Yes I can. Otherwise how else would we be in the meeting room of the Angels?" Rose said. Alice did the most mature thing possible and stuck her tongue out at her.

"Okay ladies. The guys should be here so why don't you each take a seat and I'll go see if they are ready to come down."

"Okay." Alice and Rose replied, sitting down at the same time.

I turned to Jason and said my thanks before taking a seat next to Rose.

"Oh, something good is going to happen right now. I'd bet my entire wardrobe on it." Alice said as she sat in her seat fidgeting. I just rolled my eyes at her and shook my head.

"I have to agree with her, Bells. I have a good feeling about this, too." Rose said.

"Okay, whatever." I was just excited to be here, I didn't need anything special to happen.

Alice and Rose both gave me a look and continued talking about all the different possibilities that could come from this day. I had to admit, listening to them and hearing all the different possibilities was making me surprisingly anxious. I was getting a serious case of Restless Leg Syndrome just sitting there. Finally, after what seemed like hours, we heard someone knock on the door. The room became completely silent as Jason stuck his head in the door.

"Are you guys ready?" All three of us nodded our heads like we were a bunch of bobble heads. "Okay then." He opened the door wide and in walked the three best players on the team.

The first player was easily identifiable because of his size. Emmett McCarty. He was Rose's favorite player so I looked over at her and she had a coy smile plastered on her face. She had always said that Emmett would be "fun to play with". It seems like she'd get the chance to try out her theory.

As I looked back towards the door, I was able to recognize the second player by his long, curly, blond hair: Jasper Whitlock. As soon as he walked in the door his eyes went directly to Alice and her beaming smile. I couldn't help but notice that Jasper, literally, only had eyes for Alice. I couldn't help but smile at their obvious connection.

For the last time, I looked back to the door and saw the most beautiful pair of green eyes staring intently at me. His eyes were hypnotic and I could find no reason to look away. Those eyes could only belong to one person. Edward fucking Cullen.

**A/N: Alrighty, the song that goes with this chapter is Hush Hush by The Spill Canvas (our new favorite band). There will be links that correspond with this story posted on our profiles. We are both more than open to comments and criticism, so don't be shy about that. Thanks again!**


	4. SEX

Ch. 3: S.E.X

**Disclaimer: We do not own Twilight or the Angels or TGI Fridays or the Block in Orange or anything else for that matter.**

**A/N: Hello my good men! Sorry this update is late. Thank you for the story/author alerts, favorite stories/authors and reviews. Technically, we had this done yesterday but we were just waiting on our beta. A huge thanks to our beta, hgbkwrm, for getting this back to us in a timely fashion. TRANSFORMERS ROBOTS IN DISGUISE!!! There is a part in here that is really mean and cynical and we don't want to offend anybody. We're not like that at all. Maybe it's just us but we felt sick writing it. **

**EPOV**

She was gorgeous. She had long, brown hair that hung at her waist and was shinier than- Jackie? No, that's not it. Jennifer? Nope. Whatever her name was, I couldn't give less of a fuck. Her eyes were deep pools of brown, not dull like most girls with brown eyes. She was average height and was built like an athlete. Her smile was bright and I couldn't help but return it. This girl was going to be my latest project.

The two girls standing by her sides were nice looking, but nothing compared to the brunette beauty. The blonde looks like she would be a good fuck, but I hardly noticed her. I looked to my right and saw Jasper had his gaze locked on the short one with dark, spiky hair. He didn't even know her name yet and she already had him wrapped around her tiny finger. To my left, Emmett was practically drooling and eye fucking the blonde. He always had a soft spot for blondes. I'm just glad we had our minds set on different girls. If one of them had shown an interest in the brunette, I would have had to beat their asses.

A voice broke me out of my thoughts. "Guys, this is Alice," our manager said, pointing to the short, pixie-like girl, "she was the one who won the contest." Alice stepped forward and began rapidly speaking.

"It's so nice to finally meet you three. We're huge fans and we just want to say thank you for taking the time to meet with us," Alice said, bouncing around from foot to foot. She needs to lay off the coffee.

"These are her two best friends, Rosalie," he pointed to the blonde, "and Bella," he said pointing to the goddess before me. Bella: what a fitting name. She smiled again, and I had to inconspicuously adjust my pants. Fuck, I hadn't even officially met this girl yet and she already had me hard. _I need a cold shower._

Emmett, Jasper, and I walked forward towards the girls. Jasper went up to Alice and stuck out his hand for her to shake. She surprised him, as well as the rest of us, by throwing her arms around his neck. Once she realized what she had done, she released her grip and started mumbling her apologies. Jasper didn't seem to mind though. He grabbed her hand and started whispering some lovey-dovey shit in her ear. Emmett walked up to Rosalie. She stuck out her hand and Emmett engulfed it in his massive grasp. I'm sure he was hoping he would get a hug like Jasper did. Everything's a competition with him. They started talking, but it appeared to me that she was playing hard to get by not really giving him a reaction.

_Time to turn on the charm._ I stepped up to Bella, and took her hand in mine and brought it up to my lips, kissing her knuckles. As I did so, I looked up into her eyes. I have been told that when I did this, I could have girls eating out of the palm of my hand. Girls always ate that romantic shit up, so I figured Bella would be no different than Jessica. That's her name. I would have to remember that for later. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Bella." I looked up and attempted to give her a peck on the lips, thinking that once I did, I could probably have her in my bed tonight.

Bella surprised me by yanking her hand out of mine and slapping me across the face. _Oh, I like them feisty. _"Don't. Touch. Me." She spoke so calmly, it was much more terrifying than she appeared on the outside. "I know who you are and what you do and you must be an idiot to think I'm like all those other bimbos who literally fall into your lap at your so called 'charm'. If you ever attempt anything like that ever again, I will cut your balls off and feed them to my dog. He probably won't even touch them for fear of catching a disease. Keep your hands to yourself and your dick in your pants. Do I make myself clear?"

I was stunned, to say the least. Never in my entire life, had some girl talked to me like that. If it was possible, my dick grew impossibly harder. A pissed off Bella was sexy as hell. I would have to try a different tactic. I was determined to win her over. I had many tricks up my sleeve and one of them was bound to work. For now, I decided to play along with her and agree to her requests. "Crystal." I stepped away from her and took my seat on the opposite couch, Jasper on one side and Emmett on the other. Emmett never took his eyes off Rosalie and Jasper did the same with Alice.

As I took my seat on the couch, I noticed how our manager was looking wearily between Bella and me. It was almost like he was expecting something more to happen between us. I was hoping that was the case, so long as it involved her in my bed, underneath me, screaming my name.

"So, do you have any questions for the guys?" our manager asked the three lovely ladies.

Alice spoke up first, "So what are you guys interested in?" Even though she was speaking to all three of us, her eyes never left Jasper's. It was like they were locked in some private, silent conversation or some shit. Jasper wasn't as open about his sex life as I was, so for him to be looking at Alice like she was the air he needed to breathe was a big fucking deal for him. Maybe he won't be so wound up all the time if he's around Alice twenty-four/seven. One could only hope.

"Well, I'm really interested in the Civil War era and I just recently finished fixing up my 1966 Mustang, so now that that's done, I have a lot of free time to spend with these buffoons."

"That's so interesting. You know, Rosalie also has a 1966 Mustang. She's not quite done restoring it, but it's her baby. Maybe you could stop by and help her out one day," Alice informed Jasper.

"That would be cool with me," Rosalie said. "I don't let these two anywhere near my baby because they haven't the slightest clue about classic cars. I'm almost done, I just have to make a few adjustments, but you're more than welcome to stop by," Rosalie said. Alice and Bella stared at her in obvious shock.

"Take it," they both said in unison. "She never lets anybody touch her baby," Alice added.

"Yeah, that sounds cool. We'll set up a time when we don't have games scheduled," he accepted.

Un-fucking-believable. Jasper has known these girls for a whole two minutes and he already earned himself an invite to their house! If he can get one, I'm sure I can dazzle one of them into letting me join.

"As for me," Emmett began, "I love to work out, as evidenced by these bad boys." Emmett flexed his freakishly huge biceps. I couldn't help but notice out of the corner of my eye that Rose licked her lips in anticipation, I'm sure. I punched his arms as he flexed. "Hey, what was that for?!" I just shrugged. "As I was saying before I was interrupted," Emmett shot me a death glare that I just shook off. "I also love to just sit at home watching movies and playing video games. Oh yeah, I love food, so if you can cook, you're my friend for life." Leave it to Emmett to bring food into any conversation he possibly could.

"Bella can cook. She makes the best food; I haven't had anything of hers that I haven't liked, right Alice," Rosalie said. Alice just nodded her head in agreement. I looked at Bella, and she had a slight blush across her cheeks at the compliment "You could come over with Jasper and sample Bella's food," she invited.

"Call me whenever you need me to sample something. You know, you always want to make sure the food tastes good. If it doesn't, I guess I'll just have to eat it all to make sure you don't have to suffer."

You have got to be fucking shitting me. These two both got invites. I had to step up my game if I had any hope of making Bella mine. It was time for another special trick of mine and I hoped it would work.

"What about you, Edward? What do you like to do?" Bella asked in a sweet voice. She was clearly testing me and I wasn't about to fail this test. I'm sure she expected me to say something about my sex life, but little did Miss Bella know that I had other interests besides satiating that side of my being.

"I love to do many things, but my most favorite activity would definitely be playing my piano."

"Oh, really? Have you ever composed any of your own pieces?" Bella asked, thinking she had me.

"As a matter of fact, I have. At this moment, I'm working on a piece that just came to me recently." Little did Bella know that the composition was forming in my mind as we spoke. I'm going to have to sit at my piano when I get home to write it down and polish it up. Bella seemed stunned by my comment.

"What else do you like to do besides playing the piano?" she asked. Her face was now composed.

"Reading. I prefer the classics to most anything put out these days." I smirked confidently at Bella.

"Favorite author?" she asked, skepticism showing in her bright, deep orbs.

"That's easy." Bella sat up straighter in her seat, preparing for my answer. "Are you ready for this?" She nodded her head and I continued. "Dr. Suess." Bella's expression was hilarious. Her mouth hung open in shock and her eyes grew as wide as saucers. I couldn't help but laugh at her reaction to my answer.

"How is Dr. Suess classic?! His 'poems' are mindless and idiotic," she complained. She stood up from the couch and started pacing back and forth in front of it. I kept laughing, not even worrying about trying to cover it up. "This is not funny, Cullen. I was expecting you to be serious and say something like Twain or Dickens, or something like that. I should have known that the only readings you could comprehend would be designed for five year olds." I felt that I had put Bella through enough misery for now.

"Bella, calm down. I was just joking. Shit, lighten up a little bit. Do you want to know my real answer?"

She had stopped pacing and was now standing in front of me, looking down at my face, and nodded slightly. I took that moment to not so discreetly examine her body. Her legs were long, her stomach flat. She was well endowed in the breast department. I couldn't help but imagine her writhing beneath me in pleasure as I fondled her breasts. _Oh fuck!_ I was getting harder just thinking about it. I couldn't get a real good look at her chest because she had her arms crossed in front of her, but I could use my imagination. "Cullen, my eyes are up here, not down there." I looked up at her, completely unashamed at getting caught staring at her chest. I smirked up at her and she repeated a question she had apparently asked me. "Answer?"

"Sorry, I got a little distracted." I smiled up at her, which might not have been the best decision.

"You are such a pig," Bella said disgusted. I had completely forgotten that we weren't alone in the room until I heard Emmett say something about someone finally putting me in my place. I shot him a pointed glance, but he just held his hands up saying that it was the truth. I looked at Bella who was still waiting.

"My favorite author would have to be Dickens. You seem to know a lot about literature, so tell me Bella, who is your favorite author?" She didn't seem to be expecting that because her eyes showed the shock she otherwise refused to express. It amazed me how Bella showed every emotion through her eyes.

"Brontë. My favorite book would be Wuthering Heights." She still had her arms crossed in front of her chest, still annoyed that she had found me staring at her chest. It's not my fault she was beautiful.

Alice seemed to sense the tension between Bella and I, but really, who couldn't? "Bella's an English major at Cal State Fullerton," she informed, still as bubbly as the moment we walked in the door.

"Oh really? What do you plan on becoming once you have your degree?" I asked, truly curious about her future plans.

"Eventually, I want to go to the Olympics for softball. My pitching coach went in 2004, and it's my goal to be in the 2012 Olympics. I got a full ride to Cal State Fullerton and since English is my second favorite pastime, I decided to major in it." I was surprised to hear her high aspirations of going to the Olympics.

"So you're a pitcher, huh?" Bella merely nodded. "You'll have to pitch for me sometime. I'll pitch to you in return and we'll see who is better." I challenged.

"Name the time and place and I'll be there," she accepted. I was fairly confident that I could hit off Bella with no problems, but I was curious to see what she could do on the mound.

"Maybe I could stop by and help you on your batting technique?" I asked, hoping this would be the way to get my invite.

"I've got a batting coach for that." _Why didn't I see that coming? _She got a full ride softball scholarship for Christ's sake. Of course she has a batting coach.

"If you ever change your mind, here's my number. I could also catch for you if you'd like." I handed her a slip of paper, hoping she'd accept.

She took the piece of paper, looked at it for a quick second, and stuffed it in her bag. _Ouch._

Jasper cleared up the tense air by asking Alice what she liked. She said that she loved fashion and was going to FIDM to become a fashion merchandiser. To go along with her clothing fetish, little Alice apparently loved to shop and drag Bella with her and Rosalie.

Rosalie loved cars in general. It surprised me when she said she fixed up her own '66 Mustang. I never would have pictured the statuesque blonde as the mechanical type. Emmett was drooling when she said she was majoring in engineering. To him, cars and girls were what made the world go 'round.

After that first tense question, Alice and Jasper jumped into their own conversation, as well as Emmett and Rosalie. That left Bella and I in an awkward position. She clearly wanted nothing to do with me, but I, on the other hand, wanted to know everything there was to know about her. Every time I would ask her a question, she would either just nod or shake her head, or offer me one syllable answers.

"Alright, guys. It's time for you three to head to the locker room and change to warm up."

"I'll see you later, Bella." Jasper and Emmett had invited them to join us for our traditional post game dinner at TGI Friday's. These girls must have been special because it was another rule of ours that we weren't allowed to bring dates of any kind to our dinners. To let three come was a big fucking deal.

Jasper and Emmett earned kisses on the cheeks and fucking invites to the girl's place while I didn't get shit. How the hell does that work? Edward Cullen always gets what he wants.

As the three of us were following the manager to the locker room, Jasper spoke first, "Well at least they weren't three balding, middle-aged men."

"That's for sure," Emmett agreed.

"So, do you guys think there is any way I can join you when you go over to their house?"

"I'm afraid not, Bro. We were given specific instructions not to invite you. Apparently, Jacob is friends with Bella and he has been telling her to stay away from you and not to fall for any of your tricks."

"That bastard! Who the hell is he to tell people what I do with my personal life?! Fuck, now I'm never going to get Bella. How the hell does Black know her anyway?" I was fucking pissed.

"They grew up together in Washington. Their dad's are best friends or some shit like that. Rosalie told me that she called him up the other day to catch for her, so if you're trying to get into her pants, I'd advise you to stop while you're behind. As long as he keeps feeding her the horror stories regarding your sex life, there's no chance in hell Bella will want to spend time with you, let alone go out with you."

By now, we were in the locker room, changing into our uniforms. Coach came in and informed us of changes in the line-up. "Alright, Lackey was injured at practice, so Adenhart will be starting today." Nick Adenhart was a rookie that just started playing with us this year. He was a decent, nice guy, so much better than the fucker James. Speak of the fucker and he shall appear. James sauntered into the locker room as the rest of us finished changing. "Why are you late?!" Coach roared. The number one rule among the team was never being late. James said nothing because he knew that no matter what he would say, the result would be the same. "Kennedy, you're starting second today." Adam nodded his head in acknowledgement and finished lacing up his cleats.

I finished getting ready and, after Coach left, decided to hassle James a little bit. "Where were you?"

"Why the fuck do you care?" he asked as he threw his jersey over his head.

"Oh no reason, I just want to know who I can send my condolences to."

"What the fuck are you talking about, Cullen?"

"If you were 'with' somebody, if you know what I mean, then they've got to be dying or something if you're the one they chose to do it with."

"Go fuck yourself, Cullen."

"Ooh, sorry, I can't. I've already got a date with a hot brunette tonight that's going to take care of that."

I was pulled away from James by Jasper and Emmett, into a far corner of the locker room. "What the hell was that?!" Jasper asked, throwing his hands up in exasperation.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, clearly not knowing what they were talking about.

"What you said to James is what we're talking about. That was low, even for you." Emmett explained.

"He deserved it, after what he did to me at the last practice. The douche had it coming."

"Nobody deserves to be talked to like that," Jasper said

"Well, what the fuck do you want me to do? It's already said and done. There's nothing I can do that can take it back. I'm not a fucking magic man or some shit."

"Will you just fucking listen to yourself! You don't need to be a magic man to make a wrong that you did right. You can apologize! I don't know if you missed that day in kindergarten, but apologizing is when you go up to someone and say sorry for what you fucking did or said." I have never seen Emmett so angry

"I know how to apologize, I'm not an idiot." I crossed my arms like a defiant child.

"Really? You could have fooled me. If you don't knock this shit off soon, there's going to be hell to pay. The way you treated Bella earlier was no way to treat a woman. In fact, I'm glad Jacob told Bella about you, because right now, you are earning every bit of your reputation. That stunt you just pulled with James was unbelievable. I understand that you don't like him, but who gives a shit? Ignore him for all I care. All I'm going to say is that karma is a bitch and it's going to come back and bite you in the ass."

Emmett's words really hit me hard. Generally, Emmett and Jasper were always right there with me in our quest for sex. Ever since they met Alice and Rosalie this afternoon, they have been acting different. I looked at Jasper and he was just nodding in agreement to everything Emmett had said. They were really reprimanding me for my behavior.

"Fine, whatever, I'll go apologize." They seemed satisfied with my decision, so I walked back to James' locker. He was just lacing up his cleats. "James?" He didn't look up. "Look, I'm sorry for what I said about you earlier. I was out of line and I had no right to say what I did."

"Whatever, Cullen." He stood up from the bench and pushed past me, his mitt tucked under his arm.

I sighed and walked back to the corner where Jasper and Emmett were waiting for me.

"So, how did it go?" Jasper asked, knowing by my expression that it could have gone better.

"I apologized but he just brushed me off and barely acknowledged me." I shrugged in indifference.

"At least you did your part. Come on, we need to head out to the field to start warming up before coach sends a search party after us," Emmett said. He and Jasper walked out of the locker room, with me trailing behind them.

After hearing Emmett and Jasper complain about my recent behavior, I knew that I needed to somehow make it up to Bella. I couldn't give a shit if James liked me, but knowing that Bella probably hated my guts made my stomach churn with disgust in myself. I was hoping that at dinner, I would get a chance to apologize to her for my behavior at the meet and greet. Hopefully, she will forgive me and we can start over on a better foot.

**BPOV**

"He is an asshole," I said as Alice, Rosalie, and I walked through the stadium to our seats. "He was unabashedly staring at my chest the majority of the time and when I caught him, he had the audacity to smile at me like it was no big deal!" I was so fed up and frustrated with Edward that I could hardly think. Yes, Edward was gorgeous with his smoldering emerald eyes, but there is a fine line between flirting and being a pervert and he crossed it as soon as he walked through that door.

"Don't worry about him, Bella. He's not worthy of your time," Alice tried to comfort.

"I know he's not. I just don't see what women can see in him. He's a complete pig. And, what am I going to do at dinner tonight? He will undoubtedly try to 'seduce' me again, and I don't think I'll be able to refrain from hurting that pretty, little face of his."

"Bella, calm down! Geez, you're worse than Alice when she's had caffeine. Just ignore him. If you do that, there's no way he'll be able to get into your pants," Rosalie said. "You're not going to become one of his statistics. Nobody needs someone like him in their lives. Quite frankly, I'm surprised Emmett and Jasper put up with him."

We had arrived at the suite and Alice stuck the key in the slot. The door swung open, revealing a rather spacious room. There was a round table in the center with six chairs around it. On the far side, there was a glass window looking out onto the field. To the left of the wall, there was a door that led to the seats outside. There was a couch facing the window that looked really comfortable. The three of us looked at each other and stepped into the room, arms linked together. As soon as the door shut behind us, we began squealing and jumping up and down like fan girls at a concert. We flopped down on the couch and just kept giggling, looking out to the guys practicing on the field. We could make out the distinct mass of Emmett's body, Jasper's shaggy blonde hair, and Edward's unmistakable bronze hair, even under their baseball caps.

"This is the life," we said at the same time, causing us to giggle even more.

"When are Jasper and Emmett going to stop by the house?" I asked Alice and Rose.

"They're probably going to come next Sunday when they don't have a game. Why?" Alice asked.

"I was thinking I could humor Edward and beat his ass at batting that day. Maybe I'll be nice and invite him to stay for dinner." They both looked at me like I had gone crazy. "I know what I said earlier, but maybe it won't be so bad hanging out with him. He isn't forgiven, though. Not by a long shot."

"As long as you know what you're doing. I'd love to see you trip him up with your change up. The difference in speed is so incredible; he won't even know what happened." Rose seemed to be enjoying thinking about Edward getting beat at his own game. We sat back, just talking to each other.

There was a knock on the door. Alice jumped off the couch and raced to the door. I heard her talking to whoever it was at the door. "I'll be back, ladies. I've got to make my big debut."

I totally forgot she was throwing out the first pitch. "Good luck, Ali. Show 'em how it's done." I called.

"She's got this in the bag. It won't be some wimpy, girly throw from our mighty mouse," said Rose.

"Definitely not," I agreed. Rose and I talked about Emmett. His sheer size was intimidating, but once you got to know him, he was like a big, soft teddy bear. I was actually excited to hear what he has to say about my cooking. "Is Miss Rosalie Hale falling for a guy?" I asked nudging her in the ribs. She blushed in response. She actually blushed! Rosalie never blushed. "Oh, my god! You are, aren't you?"

She buried her head in my shoulder and started mumbling, "Yeah. I don't know, Bella. He's just so sweet and caring. I don't know what it is about him, but I feel so comfortable talking to him and, after what happened with Royce," we both cringed at Rose's ex's name, "I just think he would be good for me."

"This has nothing to do with those muscular arms of his, right?" I said, jokingly.

"Maybe. I guess I just have a weakness for guys with tight abs and big arms." We both laughed at that.

Pretty soon, the announcer said that the National Anthem was going to be sung. Rosalie and I stood up and placed our hands over our hearts. Every time I hear the National Anthem, I get chills up and down my body. This time was no different. After that was all said and done, the beginning of the game was announced and the announcer told us to turn our attention to the pitcher's mound where Alice would be throwing the first pitch of the game. Rose and I walked out the door that led to the seats outside. Alice was handed the ball and, unsurprisingly, Jasper was behind the plate. She threw the pitch with a force that was almost unbelievable for Alice's tiny frame right down the middle of the plate. Rosalie and I cheered madly for Alice showing that just because you're a girl doesn't mean you have to throw like one. We looked around at the faces of the people around us and laughed at their dumbstruck expressions. After Jasper had caught the ball, he stood up and pulled a Sharpie out of his back pocket to sign the ball for Alice. She danced up to him and gave him a hug before she was ushered off the field.

After Alice had returned, the Dodgers' starting line-up was announced. The three of us cheered when Jacob's name was called as catcher. Nick Adenhart took to the mound and began throwing warm up pitches. Soon enough, the game was underway. The first inning, Adenhart struck out three batters in a row. Our team ran back into the dugout and we started our batting order. When our team's line-up was called, fireworks were set off after each name. Bengie Molina was catching, Edward was at first, Adam Kennedy was at second, David Eckstein at short stop, Emmett at third, Garrett Anderson in Left, Jasper in Center, Tim Salmon in Right, Shawn Wooten as our designated hitter, and, of course, Adenhart as our starting pitcher. We got two runs in that first inning: a single by Kennedy and a home run by none other than Edward Cullen.

The game seemed to go by fast and, before we knew it, we were in the ninth inning. Adenhart had done amazing, pitching a no hitter for six innings before he was pulled out so he wouldn't get too tired. Scott Shields was now pitching. Jacob was up to bat and I was torn. On the one hand, I wanted him to strike out so we could end this without too much of a problem. The other part of me wanted him to slam it out of the park because he was my friend and I wanted him to do well. He did get a hit, but was thrown out at first. I noticed him looking up at me, flashing me his signature smile, which I returned. The Angels claimed the victory and the announcer said, "Light up that halo." Every game the Angels won, whether home or away, the halo around the big 'A' was lit up to celebrate the victory.

The three of us didn't eat much, knowing that we were going to dinner afterwards. I was looking forward to celebrating with everyone. I was still skeptical about Edward, but I was always taught to give people a chance before you judged them. I went into the dinner with that mentality. The ride over was a particularly loud one, but I wouldn't have had it any other way. After navigating through the throngs of people, it was a quick drive to the Block in Orange. We were told what kind of cars Emmett, Jasper, and Edward drove, so we were on the lookout for them. We sat in the car for a little bit, knowing that it would be a few minutes before the guys would show up. We talked about the major plays of the game and going back to school tomorrow. I saw Emmett's large jeep pull into the parking lot, followed closely by Jasper's Mustang and Edward's Volvo. Rose and Alice jumped out of the car, running to their respective men. I took my time getting out, not really looking forward to Edward's staring.

_Here we go._

**A/N: Hopefully you enjoyed it. We love Bella in this chapter! In the words of our beta, Bella gives his shit back to him. The song used for this chapter was "S.E.X" by Nickelback because there's no song called "Douche bag". We have been told that there's too much cussing in the story but it's needed for character development. We're sorry if it offends anybody but it's not going to let up anytime soon. OK people! We have way more story/author alerts than reviewers. We have a slight problem with that. WE WANT REVIEWS!!!!!!!!!! We really don't want to but if necessary, we will delay updates. It only takes a minute or two and we read and respond to every single one. We'll get down on our knees and beg, you wouldn't see it but we would. **


	5. Never Met A Girl Like You

Ch. 4: Never Met A Girl Like You

**Disclaimer: We do not own Twilight or the Angels or T.G.I. Fridays but hopelessromantic09 does own a new laptop! **

**A/N: Yo yo yiggity yo! Our week has been pretty uneventful so you guys are getting another update. We will be extremely busy this weekend so we are posting tonight. A humongous thank you to hgbkwrm for beta-ing this chapter twice! There's only one hacker in the world who can crack this code. Thanks for the story/author alerts, favorite stories/authors, and the reviews. You guys have been doing pretty good with the reviews so thank you all so much. There is a quote in this chapter so hopefully somebody will find it. **

**EPOV**

After we took the victory against the Dodgers-_Ha! Suck it Jacob_-Jasper, Emmett and I went to the locker room to change into our regular clothes for dinner. "What are you going to do about Jessica?" Jasper asked over the roar of the showers running.

Fuck! I had totally forgotten about her after Bella captured my interest. I wrapped a towel around my waist after I shut the water off. "I don't know. Maybe I'll just cancel. She probably forgot, anyway."

"You can't!" Emmett yelled, startling me with the volume of his voice.

"Shit, Emmett, I'm right here, there's no need to yell," I scoffed. "And why the hell can't I cancel?"

"Are you fucking insane?! Were you even listening when we talked to you before the game? Girls always remember that shit. In fact, she's probably waiting for your sorry ass to pick her up!" Emmett was flailing his arms around in aggravation.

"Well, what the hell do you want me to do?!"

"Invite her to dinner with us. We already have the girls coming, what's one more?" Jasper suggested.

"I don't have her fucking number," I said through me teeth.

"There's this thing called a phone book where, wouldn't you believe it, they list everyone's phone number. It's a really great invention," Emmett said, sarcasm flowing freely.

"Prick," I muttered as I walked away, back to my locker.

"I heard that," Emmett sang.

"Good!" I yelled back. I sat on the bench, put my elbows on my knees, and my head in my hands. I really didn't want to see Jessica. After meeting Bella, it seemed like every other girl I've been with paled in comparison. The problem was that Bella wanted nothing to do with me. Thinking about Bella was making me hard, yet again. Fucking hell! Fine, if Bella didn't want to get to know me, then maybe Jessica will give me my release. I quickly threw my clothes on and made my way to the office to find Jessica's number. I stopped in front of the mirror before exiting to make sure my hair was perfectly coifed. That would surely close the deal with Jessica. That is, if I didn't already have her with the charm I used at the lake. I found her number fairly easily, and punched the numbers into the phone.

It rang twice before I heard her voice on the other line, "Hello?"

"Hey, Jess, it's Edward."

"Oh, hi, Eddie!" I cringed at my 'nickname'. "I'm so excited for our date tonight! Are you almost here?"

"It's Edward. Anyway, I was just calling to let you know that I won't be able to pick you up tonight."

She sounded dejected as she spoke, "Oh, well, can we meet up another time?"

_No, I don't want to see you at all. _"Actually, I won't be able to pick you up, but you're welcome to join me and a couple of my teammates for dinner at TGI Friday's at the Block in Orange."

I heard rustling in the background and the distinct jingle of a set of keys. "I'm leaving right now; I'll see you when I get there." The excitement had returned to her voice.

"Great. Just tell the host you're there to see Edward."

"Okay, bye Eddie!"

The line went dead. "It's Edward," I said to no one. Maybe this wasn't the best idea I've ever had. I went back into the locker room to see if Jasper and Emmett were ready yet. "Are you two pansies ready, or what?"

"Did you call Jessica?" Jasper asked.

"Yeah, she's going to meet us at the restaurant."

"Cool," Emmett said.

We walked out of the stadium, once again resembling the Three Fucking Musketeers. _We really need to cut that shit out._ There were a couple of fans who were waiting outside for autographs and pictures and other shit. We complied, basking in the spotlight like we were the fucking Beatles or some shit. After the fan encounters, we hopped into our cars and sped away, Emmett leading the way. What was supposed to be a five minute drive took us only two minutes. The three of us all loved the thrill speeding brought us and we always made it a point to see if we could break our record of getting there in under two minutes. So far, we've been shit out of luck. We were able to find three spots next to each other. _Could our night be any luckier? Only if I knew I would be taking Bella home tonight. _Man, what is wrong with me? I never got hung up on women. If there was one thing I was good at, it was never getting attached to women. After all, Edward Cullen never fell for women; he only fell on top of them.

We spotted the girls getting out of an Acadia. Rosalie ran to Emmett while Alice skipped lithely towards Jasper. Bella seemed like she didn't want to be there, so I went up to her. She had her back to me, so I crept up behind her, covered her eyes with my hands and whispered in her ear, lightly grazing the lobe. "Guess who."

"What the hell, Cullen?!" She threw my hands off her eyes and whipped around quickly to slap me in the face. Again. _Wow, two times in one night. That's got to be some type of record. _"I thought I told you not to touch me."

I, being the cocky bastard I am, responded with, "I thought you just didn't want to show your friends how much you love me."

"Ew. You need to get over yourself. There is no way in hell I would love you. I don't even like you, so just stay the hell away from me. Oh, and Cullen?"

"Yeah?"

"Your girlfriend's waiting for you." With that, Bella walked off, leaving me confused.

"What?" I turned around and saw Jessica running towards me. I, only now, realized she was calling my name.

"Eddie!" Jessica called, flailing her arms in the air trying to catch my attention.

I internally groaned. "It's Edward, Jessica."

"Who was that?" she asked, jealousy ringing in her voice. "Is she your girlfriend?"

_Not yet._ "No, she's just a friend."

"Oh, okay." Once satisfied, she threw her arms around my neck and molded her lips to mine. Jessica wasn't the best kisser, but I was still confident that she would come back to my house and give me my release. As we kissed, I imagined Bella kissing me with her perfect, full lips. That thought alone made me hard as fuck. Jessica noticed. "Someone's a little excited." She palmed my erection through my pants and I groaned in response. She lightly brushed her lips against mine. "Later, I promise." She grabbed my hand and led me through the parking lot. _Fucking hell!_

"You're such a fucking tease." Jessica just giggled.

She pulled me into the restaurant. "Hey, Seth, What's up?" I greeted the host standing at the podium.

"Hey, Bro." Seth stuck out his hand for me to shake and I took it. "Not much. What about you?"

"Nothing too exciting, just playing ball."

"And getting busy," he said, nodding his head in Jessica's direction.

"Fuck off," I said with a smile.

He chuckled, "Jazz and Em are at your usual table. I'll catch you later."

"Bye, Seth."

"Who was he?" Jessica asked as I led her to our usual table in the back. She sure asked a lot of questions.

"That would be Seth. He's been working here for a couple of months. Jasper, Emmett and I come here often, so he's become a friend of ours."

"Eddie Boy!" Emmett called as soon as he caught sight of me rounding the corner.

"Is it necessary for you to be so damn loud, Em?" I asked, rubbing my ear for dramatic effect.

"Actually, it is," he said in his booming voice.

"Well, knock it off!" I yelled, back.

Our usual table was added upon. Alice was at the head of the table. Jasper was to her right, who was next to Rose, who sat next to Emmett. Bella was on the other side of Alice and two empty chairs were next to her. I pulled out Jessica's chair and took my seat between her and Bella. Jessica didn't seem to like that very much. I didn't give a fuck.

Alice was captivated by Jasper's southern charm while Rosalie was absorbed in Emmett. I wasn't really paying attention to their conversations. "Bella," I said in greeting. She pretended like I didn't exist and turned to look at Alice. Her face fell when she realized she wasn't going to be able to get Alice to talk to her. "It looks like you're stuck with me."

"Joy," she said as she rolled her eyes.

"Aw, come on. I'm not so bad," I leaned closer to her and brought my tone of voice down as I said this.

"Yeah, you are."

"Name one reason why," I challenged, shamelessly taking in her gorgeous body, once again.

"Just one?" she asked sarcastically. I nodded. "Let's see, where to begin?" Her forehead wrinkled as she scrunched her eyebrows, pretending to have to think about it. "That!" she screamed.

"What?" I asked, not knowing what the hell she was talking about.

"You checking me out while I'm talking to you. Little glances here and there I can ignore, but I'm not about to put up with your ogling." She leaned in closer and whispered in my ear, "Especially when you have your girlfriend sitting right next to you, who, by the way, is shooting daggers at me."

Bella was still close to me and I breathed in her rich scent. She smelled of freesias and strawberries; intoxicating. I whispered back, "She's not my girlfriend."

"You could have fooled me. If she's not your girlfriend, then would you mind telling me why she was jamming her tongue down your throat?"

"So, what? Is it illegal to kiss somebody you're not going out with?" I asked, throwing my hands up in the air in exasperation.

"No, but do you plan on making her your girlfriend or are you just going to use her and throw her out like yesterday's trash when you've gotten what you wanted?"

"I haven't given it much thought," I told Bella honestly. Sure, Jessica would be a decent lay, but was I willing to commit to something more. _Ha! Yeah right, Edward Cullen does not do relationships._

"Your Corona, Mr. Cullen," said the waiter as he set the bottle of beer down in front of me, along with a cold glass and lime.

"Thank you," I said as I squeezed the lime into the glass, followed closely by the beer. He finished passing out the drinks to our table before he took our order.

"That would be another reason, Mr. Cullen. You're afraid of commitment," Bella said confidently as she took a drink of her Long Island Iced Tea.

_Bingo! We have a winner! _Of course, I wasn't about to tell her that. "And what made you come to that conclusion?" I asked, playing it off.

"You can't stay in a 'relationship' for more than two seconds." Jessica looked at Bella as she said this, but didn't seem deterred. _Good. _

"Maybe I haven't met anyone that's worth my time," I shrugged. Jessica's mouth fell slack for a split second before she quickly closed it. _Poor girl, she thought I was really interested in her._

Bella seemed shocked by my reply, but quickly composed her features. "It's something more than that. I'm going to figure it out."

"I wish you wouldn't." I never wanted anyone to know why I act the way I do. Hell, even Jasper and Emmett had no idea and they were my best friends.

She locked her jaw, a stubborn gesture, and turned to Alice, who had called her name.

I felt Jessica rest her hand on my knee and slowly slide it higher up my thigh. "Eddie, can we go?" she whispered in my ear.

"We just got here," I said.

"I'll make it worth your while." She nipped at my earlobe, trying to convince me.

I was torn. On the one hand, I wanted to stay and try to worm my way into Bella's graces, but on the other, I really needed my release. In the end, I decided I'd have more time to convince Bella that I wasn't all that bad. "Fine, let's go." I stood up, grabbing Jessica's hand in mine.

"Where are you going?" Jasper asked.

I quickly thought up a lie to get us out of here. "I'm not feeling too well."

"Uh huh, sure you're not," Bella muttered under her breath.

"Hope you feel better, Bro," Jasper said. Emmett nodded his head in agreement.

"Thanks. I'll see you guys later." I led Jessica out to the front of the restaurant.

"Leaving so soon?" Seth asked.

"Yeah, I'm not feeling well."

"Good luck with that." I couldn't help but grin at the double implications of his words.

Once we were outside the doors and by her car, Jessica attacked me with her lips. "Let's go back to your place," Jessica demanded as soon as I broke the kiss to catch my breath.

"Follow me," I whispered against her lips. I sprinted to my car and gunned the engine out of the parking lot. _I hope she drives fast._

**BPOV**

"Thank God," I said as soon as Edward was out of earshot. I didn't know how much more of his 'flirting' I could take before I slapped him across the face. "Has he always been like that?" I asked Jasper and Emmett, pointing at the door with my thumb.

"Yep," Emmett said while simultaneously shoveling food in his mouth.

"Every time we try to ask him about it, he blows up at us and tells us to drop the subject," Jasper added.

Alice and Rosalie were deep in conversation with Jasper and Emmett after our little exchange, effectively leaving me alone with my thoughts. I couldn't believe he'd spent the entire time he was here talking to me and ignoring Jessica. Then, Jessica starts kissing him without a care in the world right in front of everyone. How quickly Mr. Cullen becomes distracted. I was just glad he was gone so I could finish my dinner in peace, without him trying to 'dazzle' me.

Once everyone was done eating, Jasper and Emmett were nice enough to foot the bill. We said our goodbyes, Rose and Alice earning kisses from Emmett and Jasper, respectively.

"Oh," Alice said as we climbed into my car.

"My," Rosalie added.

"God," they said in unison. I laughed at their expressions.

"They're perfect," Alice said, a dreamy look in her eyes. "They're so sweet and caring."

"Did you guys make plans to meet up again?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes, Jazzy said he was going to take me out on a one-on-one date on a night the team doesn't have practice." Alice was nearly bouncing out of her seat, once again.

"Emmett is taking me to a car show next weekend," Rose informed. I knew she would have a good time with him.

"I'm so happy for you two. Jasper and Emmett are perfect."

"Oh, Bella, we're sorry. Here we are gushing about having dates when the Edward thing blew over like a lead balloon," Rose said from the backseat.

"Don't even worry about it, you guys. I'm perfectly happy with my life the way it is. I don't need some guy, especially one like Edward, to make me happy."

The rest of the drive home was relatively quiet. I think exhaustion took over once the high of the night's events wore off. When we got home, Mo greeted us at the door with his 'bear talk', as I called it. I let him out before heading upstairs to get ready for bed. I crawled into my bed as Mo hopped on and lay down at my feet. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was unconscious.

JAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJA

"Damn, Bells, where did all this energy come from?" Nicole asked me after I had thrown a perfect slider. "I think this is the fastest you've ever picked up a pitch."

"Edward Cullen," I huffed as I released another pitch. It hit the catcher's glove with a loud smack.

"You mean the guy on the Angels?" she asked.

"The one and only."

"What did he do to you?"

"He tried to get me to sleep with him, but Jake already told me all about his little sexcapades, so I didn't fall into that trap of his."

"What a douche bag."

"Tell me about it." I rolled my eyes.

"We need to get him around you more often. Your pitching is amazing when you take your anger from him out on it," she joked.

"This is not funny," I said as I threw, yet another, perfect pitch.

"Hey, I'm just saying." She threw her hands up in the air in surrender. "How did you meet him anyway?"

"Ali won tickets for a meet and greet with him, along with Jasper Whitlock and Emmett McCarty."

"That damn pixie is always so lucky. Change up," she called. I complied and the yellow ball sailed through the air at a decent, slow speed. "Good, you're done. Great job today, you'll definitely be ready to pitch tomorrow."

"Thanks." We walked back to the dugout together, with Genessa, my catcher, and I pulled my water out of my bag, downing it in one gulp. The rest of the team had already left, but I stayed behind to get a few more pitches in. I packed up my Synergy, mitt, and helmet and traded my cleats for my Converse. Genessa packed away her catching gear as Nicole leaned against the pole, waiting for us to finish packing up.

"Great job, Bells. I think this has definitely been one of your best lessons ever," Genessa complimented.

"Thanks, Ducky." Genessa earned that nickname after one of our coaches said she ran like a duck.

I threw my bag over my shoulder and followed Genessa and Nicole to the parking lot.

"Remember, girls, don't be late tomorrow," Nicole chastised.

"Or else you'll kick our asses," we finished her phrase. "We know."

"Okay, I just want to make my point clear," she said as she climbed into her Volkswagen Bug.

"Bye, Nicole, I'll see you tomorrow," I called as I threw my bag in the trunk of my car. "You, too, Ducky."

"Bye, Bells," she said with a wave.

Rose didn't have afternoon classes today, so Ali picked her up after her class ended. When I got home, they were sitting at the kitchen table, books covering the entire surface.

"Hey, Bells," they greeted at the same time.

"Hey, guys. Mind if I join you? I've got loads of homework."

"Sure," Ali said as they cleared off a space for me and my books. Mo heard me come in, so he sauntered in from the living room to lie under the table, at my feet.

"How was practice?" Rosalie asked.

"It went really well. I took all my anger from Edward out on my pitching and Nicole said it really helped. I'm excited to see if this good practice will carry over into tomorrow's game."

"If you still have some pent up anger from Edward, I'm sure you'll be fine," Ali added.

"I think he's caused me enough anger to last me a lifetime."

"Amen," they agreed as we all laughed.

After our study session, I made hamburgers for dinner, much to Ali and Rose's delight. Mo was also happy, as he got a few scraps here and there. They cleaned up the dishes, since I cooked, before we sat down on the couch to watch a movie.

The movie finished around ten. I stood up from the couch, stretching my arms above my head. "I'm going to bed, I'm beat." I trudged up the stairs, Mo following at my heels.

"I agree," Ali said.

"It's been a long day," said Rose.

I quickly got ready for bed. That night, I dreamed of the one and only, Edward Cullen.

**A/N: We know it's short and fluffy but there's a method to our madness. The song for this chapter is "Never Met A Girl Like You" by Corbin Bleu. The team really did go to TGI Friday's back in the day. Our mom and aunt used to go there all the time and see the players. Nicole is real and she was our pitching coach, the best one we had, and we had a lot. She is so eccentric and fun to be around. Genessa is real too. She was our catcher for 6 years before we stopped playing. To all the mothers out there, happy mother's day!! If you're not a mom, remember to tell her you love her!**


	6. Dickhead

Ch. 5: Dickhead

**Disclaimer: We do not own Twilight, Ducati or Anderson Field.**

**A/N: We know it's been awhile since the last update, three weeks!! We're so sorry. Thanks so much for the story/author alerts, favorite stories/authors, and reviews! A major thanks to hgbkwrm for betaing this chapter super quick, with the time change, it was an hour!! You seriously rock something hard! Can we please keep the reviews up? We love to hear what you guys think.**

**EPOV**

Jessica parked along the street in front of my house as I pulled my Volvo into the garage. I quickly got out of the car as she ran into my arms and started kissing me hungrily. I wrapped my arms around her. She walked me backward to the door that led into the house. I blindly groped the wall trying to find the garage door remote to close it. The metal door slid shut. I broke the kiss to catch my breath, but my lips didn't leave her skin. I kissed my way across her jaw and down her neck, paying special attention to the area behind her ear. This caused Jessica to moan and throw her head back in ecstasy.

"Bedroom," she gasped. She wrapped her legs around my waist and I picked her up. As I did, her center rubbed up against my erection through my pants. I groaned at the friction, throwing the door open and dashing up the stairs into one of the spare bedrooms. When I had girls over, I never took them to my room. That was my space and nobody but me has ever been in there.

As we crashed through the door, I dropped Jessica to her feet. Clothes flew around the room as we quickly undressed, wanting to fulfill our needs. Jessica was pretty, but not the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. No, that title belonged to Bella.

I tossed her onto the bed and crawled on top of her. She braided her fingers in my hair as I grabbed one of her breasts in my hand and began kneading it. As I did that, I licked and sucked the nipple of her other breast, earning gasps that fueled my desire. My other hand slipped between us and teased her dripping center. "So wet," I said before I began kneading her other breast with my hand and switching my mouth over to the other one. Jessica was bucking her hips up, trying to create friction between the two of us.

I was over the foreplay, so I opened the drawer of the bedside table to grab a condom because Edward Cullen was not interested in passing on his good looks quite yet. Quickly, I ripped it open with my teeth and slid it onto my hard dick. Without wasting time, I pushed into Jessica and began thrusting in and out of her rapidly. My hand, once again, reached between us and I began rubbing her clit furiously, wanting to get my release quickly.

Jessica was writhing beneath me as I felt her walls begin to clamp around me. She was screaming my name as she came, pulling me over the edge with her. I dropped my head between her shoulder and neck as I screamed out, "Fuck, Bella!"

"What'd you say?" Jessica asked breathlessly.

_Oh shit!! _"Nothing, I didn't say anything." _Did_ _I really just yell out Bella's name?_ I could have sworn I said Jessica, but now that I think about it, I did say Bella. _What has this girl done to me?_

Jessica fell asleep in my arms as I lay awake thinking about Bella.

JASJASJASJASJASJASJASJASJASJASJASJASJASJASJASJASJASJASJASJASJASJASJASJASJASJASJASJASJASJASJAS

"Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey!" Jessica's annoying, nasally voice said.

As I broke out of my sleeping daze, becoming more coherent, I realized that it smelled like something was burning. My eyes shot open and I sat up in bed. "You didn't fucking burn my kitchen down, did you?" I asked, praying that she would say no. I didn't have time to deal with that shit.

"I burned some eggs, but other than that, everything's fine," she said.

"How the hell do you burn eggs?" Clearly, she was no Martha Stewart.

"I got distracted with the toast_." Are you fucking kidding me? Great, Edward, you decided to fuck the only girl in California who could burn eggs by being distracted with toast._ _Whatever._ Now that I was sure my kitchen wasn't burned to ashes, I saw that Jessica was holding a tray that contained a blob of yellow, which I'm assuming were the eggs, bacon that looked black, and toast that was clearly burned. She noticed me staring at the sorry excuse for a meal. "Oh, silly me, I made you breakfast."

"No shit, Sherlock," I muttered. She put the tray on my lap, but I was hesitant to even attempt to eat anything on the plate. "Thank you." Jessica looked expectantly at me, so I picked up the fork and stabbed a small piece of egg. Once it was in my mouth, I had to fight the urge to gag. No amount of money could make me eat this shit. "You know what, I'm not really hungry," I said as I pushed the tray away. I threw the covers off of me and left the guest bedroom.

"Where are you going, Eddie?" Jessica asked, following me across the hall like a lost little puppy.

"My name is _Edward_ and I'm going to shower." I walked into my room and turned around to address Jessica. "Oh, and make sure you're gone before I get out of the shower," I said as I shut the door on her.

As I stood in the shower, the warm water cascaded down my back, relaxing me, which is exactly what I needed. Before the water ran cold, I finished washing up and stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around my waist. I knew that wherever I decided to go today, I would ride my Ducati, so I dressed in a plain, white t-shirt, a pair of jeans, and my boots, slinging my riding jacket over my shoulder.

As I got downstairs, I slung my jacket over the back of one of the kitchen chairs and made myself a bowl of cereal. _What to do, what to do?_ I thought as I leaned against the counter, scarfing down my bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. I picked up the phone and dialed Emmett. "Hello?"

"Hey, Em, it's me."

"Hey, Bro, what's shakin'?"

"Nothing. I just kicked Jessica out. She made this shit excuse of a breakfast. She burned eggs! How the hell do you burn eggs?! Anyway, now I'm at a loss of what to do today. What were your plans?"

"Rosie and Alice were going to Bella's game after class and they invited Jazz and me to go with them. I think we're going to their place for dinner, afterwards."

"Lucky bastard, already getting invited to dinner after knowing them for one day."

"Hey, it's not my fault you decided to show Bella your true colors. If you want to get closer to her, you have got to clean up your act."

"How the fuck am I supposed to break years of habits in a couple days?" I asked incredulously, throwing my hands up in the air, nearly spilling the remnants of my cereal.

"I don't know, Bro, but if you want Bella, you're going to have to show her that you're not a complete douche bag."

"I am not a douche bag."

"Says the guy who kicked a girl out of his house, who, by the way, made him breakfast and fucked him, into the street."

"She knew, before she agreed to meet me, that whatever happened between the two of us was not a permanent relationship. She had it coming." I didn't feel sorry for what I did to Jessica this morning, but if I ever did anything remotely close to that to Bella, I'd feel like the biggest asshole in the universe.

"If you're going to act like a heartless son of a bitch, I'm hanging up," Emmett warned.

"Fine, I'm sorry. I gotta go, but I'll talk to you later."

"Later, Loser."

"Bye, Bitch." I had made up my mind; I was going to go to Bella's game. I dumped my bowl in the sink as I grabbed my jacket off the chair and threw it on. After making sure the house was locked up, I went into the garage and grabbed my helmet off the shelf, quickly shoving it on my head. Once I got the bike started up, I revved the engine and took off, speeding to the exit of my gated community. I sped my way through Orange County and made it to Anderson field in no time flat.

I didn't see Emmett or Jasper's cars, or Bella's for that matter, so I decided to hang out in the parking lot and wait for them to get there. As I stood, leaning against my Ducati, many girls passed by, talking in hushed voices and giggling like little school girls. I flashed them my signature crooked smile and they, literally, swooned as they walked by. _Like stealing candy from a baby_, I thought as I smiled to myself.

Soon enough, I saw Emmett's massive jeep pull into the parking lot, followed by a flashy yellow Porsche. They pulled up next to me. Alice and Jasper stepped out of the Porsche and Emmett and Rosalie jumped down from the jeep. "What the hell are you doing here?" Alice screeched at me as she wagged a finger in front of my face.

"Whoa, chill, Pixie. Why do you think I'm here? I came to see Bella play."

"In case the cold shoulder you received from her wasn't indication enough, Bella wants nothing to do with you, especially at her games. If you mess with Bella, there will be hell to pay!" _How could somebody so tiny be so frightening?_ Emmett and Jasper were fuming and Rosalie looked like she was ready to kill

"Geez, will you all just relax. I'm not going to do anything bad to Bella. I simply want to see what Bella's made of out on the field. Is that so wrong?"

"Yes!" they screamed simultaneously. I brushed them off and walked to the entrance of Anderson Field with the rest of our group quickly pushing past me.

**BPOV**

"_Please, Edward, I need you in me," I moaned as Edward pumped his fingers in and out of me while teasing my clit at the same time. _

"_With pleasure, Love," he responded as he thrust into me in one swift motion._

I shot out of bed, panting from the intensity of the dream. _What the hell was that?_ Mo lifted and cocked his head to the side, giving me a curious look, almost like he was pretending to not know who I was. "Thanks for the support, Buddy," I said sarcastically as I got out of bed to get ready for the day. He just barked softly in response. After I had taken my shower and gotten dressed, I pulled my freshly washed uniform out of my dresser and packed it into my equipment bag.

I knew Alice and Rose would soon be up, so I decided to make omelets for all of us. As I was plating the food, Alice and Rose trudged into the kitchen from upstairs. They each took a seat at the bar. "Morning, Sunshines!" I called to them.

"Would you mind explaining to me how you are so awake at this God awful hour?" Alice asked, resting her head on the counter.

I laughed, "It's not that early. It's seven."

"Regardless, it's still early," Rose said as her eyes fought to remain open.

"Eat up," I said as I placed a plate in front of each of them. We ate quickly before leaving to go to school. Luckily, I only had two classes in the morning, so I had time to relax before the game. Rosalie and I had the same calculus class at 8, so Alice dropped us off before she went to FIDM.

"I'll see you at the game, Bella," Rosalie said before we went our separate ways. After my second class, I quickly changed into my uniform and went up to the field.

"Judo chop to the neck!" Nicole yelled as she jumped and threw her hand to my neck, stopping just before she made contact.

"Hey, Nicole," I greeted without flinching as I set my stuff down.

"You ready to kick their asses?" she asked.

"I am so ready for this."

"Great. Hey, Ducky, are you geared up yet?" Nicole asked, looking back behind her at Genessa.

"Yup, let's do this," Genessa said, just as she placed her catching helmet over her head.

The three of us walked to the bullpens to warm up. I started with my usual warm ups and then began throwing pitches as Nicole called them. I missed a few pitches, but for the most part, I hit my marks. After the three of us left the bullpens, Genessa and I joined the rest of the team and took some practice swings and practiced our fielding. Before we knew it, the game was about to start.

"Bella!" I heard Alice call. I turned around and my smile immediately dropped. Alice had Jasper's hand wrapped in hers, as did Rosalie with Emmett. I was fine with them being here, in fact, I welcomed it with open arms. The thing that I was not happy about was Edward trailing behind them. He had his stupid crooked smile plastered on his face as he walked confidently towards me.

"Ali, can I talk to you for a minute?" I asked through gritted teeth. She nodded, sensing my distress over Edward being here. Once we were out of earshot of everyone, I began. "Would you mind telling me what the hell _he's_ doing here?"

"I swear, Bella, Rose and I didn't tell him. Apparently, he called Emmett this morning and your game happened to be mentioned in passing. He took it upon himself to show up. Nobody invited him. If it's any consolation, I threatened to beat his ass if he messed with you."

I chuckled, "Thanks, Ali."

"No problem, that's what I'm here for. Just go out there and do what you always do. You'll be great." We hugged before I had to go back to the rest of my team.

The team began our pre-game ritual by reciting our prayer: God, our Father, hear us pray, as we pause to play this game. Give us strength and courage, too, to do the best that we can do. Amen. We then began our cheer to get ourselves even more pumped up for the game. As we broke away and took our positions on the field, I looked up into the bleachers. I was looking for Alice and Rose, but, of course, my gaze landed on Edward. He still had his crooked smile on, but to add insult to injury, he winked at me. _Who the hell did this guy think he was?_ I looked away, disgusted and threw a few pitches before Genessa called, "Coming down!" and threw the ball to second base. The ball was returned to me as the first batter for the other team took their place in the batter's box.

Genessa called the pitches and, in the beginning, I hit my marks. For some reason, unbeknownst to me, I kept looking up into the bleachers and catching Edward's eye. It seemed as though he was scrutinizing my playing. I tried to brush it off.

It didn't work.

Slowly, but surely, my pitches strayed farther from my marks. By the end of the first inning, I had given up three hits.

"You alright?" Nicole asked as I leaned on the chain link fence, looking out at the game to support our team.

"Yeah, I'm just a little distracted."

"By what?" Nicole asked, nudging me playfully.

"_He's_ here," I sneered as I gestured to the stands with my head.

Nicole scanned the stands and must have finally noticed who I was talking about. "Ugh, the Douche just needs to lay off. Don't worry about him, Bells. He doesn't mean anything. Just do what you did yesterday at practice and kick their ass!" I laughed, thankful for her ability to lift my spirits in a split second.

I focused and was able to get my head back in the game. Or so I thought. The first inning ended and our team took the field again. Unfortunately, my pitching was still taking a nose dive, no matter what I tried.

During the top of the third inning, I had the bases loaded and no outs. Breathe, Bella. Genessa called a slider. To my dismay, the ball sailed down the middle of the plate, allowing the batter to crush it, sending the ball out of the park.

A grand slam. Never, in all my years of playing softball, have I ever given up a grand slam. "Time out, Blue!" our head coach called to the umpire. He signaled the time out and I was pulled off the mound as another one of our pitchers took my place. Genessa had her helmet off and gave me an apologetic smile, which I returned halfheartedly. As I left the field, I looked back up into the stands and noticed Edward, a cocky smirk, now in place of his crooked smile. Alice, Rose, Emmett, and Jasper were on their feet, clapping.

I took a seat on the bench in the dugout and roughly grabbed my hair in my hands.

"Shake it off, Bella," Nicole advised.

"I had this game in the bag. I was so ready to go out there and win the game but I let him get to me! Why?!" I vented to her.

"I, honestly, don't know, Bells, but you have got to get past this. There will be other games."

"I know, but you know how important this game was to me. This was my shot!"

"That's it!" Nicole exclaimed as she crouched down in front of me. "If you don't quit this self loathing shit, I will personally beat your ass," she said with a smile.

Once again, Nicole was able to get me to laugh. "Thanks," I said as I engulfed her in a hug.

"No problem, Poop Face." Her "affectionate" nickname for me always caused me to smile.

The game continued but, sadly, we were not able to come back from the rut I put us in. We lost by one run. It was a close game, but I'd rather be beaten by a lot, not a little. We got in line and congratulated the other team. Their coach told me that they knew I was having an off day and hoped I got over it. I thanked him and walked back to the dugout to pack my gear away.

Alice and Rosalie were waiting by the entrance to the field with their arms open. I threw my bag down and hurled myself into their waiting arms. I had kept my tears at bay in the dugout, but as soon as Alice and Rose were trying to comfort me, I broke down and cried.

"Shh, Bella," Rose said softly. "There will be other games."

"I know, but this was it. My one shot for my dream! This one counted the most."

"Maybe we'll be able to get you another chance," Alice said optimistically.

"They rarely give second chances, Ali. You know that," I said.

I continued to cry as Alice and Rose hugged me and rubbed my back, trying to get me to calm down. Once my breathing was somewhat back to normal, I looked up and noticed Edward. "You!" I snarled.

"What?" he asked as I broke away from Alice and Rose.

"You ruined me! You took my dream, tore it apart, and set it on fire. This is all your fault!" I screamed, fresh tears streaming down my face.

"What the hell are you talking abo-" Edward was cut off by my fist connecting with his face. My body was filled with so much adrenaline that I didn't feel a thing as I punched Edward. "OW! What the fuck was that for?!" he yelled, followed by a steady stream of profanities. He pulled his hand away from his face just enough for me to see a slight bruising already forming over his eye.

"That was for ruining my chances to further my softball career!" Rose chose that moment to take me by the arm, leading me away from Edward, Jasper, and Emmett. Alice grabbed my bag and told Jasper that she'd call him later.

As we walked away, I heard Jasper's fading voice. "Dude, there was an Olympic scout here to observe Bella. She was almost guaranteed a spot on the U.S. team until you had to go and ruin it. I hope you're happy."

"Aw, fucking hell!" was the last thing I heard before Rosalie shut the door to Alice's Porsche.

**A/N: Ok, does anybody want to join us and totally beat Edward to a bloody pulp? Does he make anyone else angry?? The song that inspired this chapter was "Dickhead" by Kate Nash, so fitting. School is starting to wind down so hopefully we'll be able to update more often. Hopelessromantic09 has a one shot up called "Forever's Not Enough" so if you guys could go check it out, she would greatly appreciate it! Don't forget to review please!!**


	7. Over It

Ch. 6: Over It

**Disclaimer: We do not own Twilight, T.G.I Friday's, or Cal State Fullerton. But we do own a husky with a slight case of separation anxiety. **

**A/N: Thanks for all the alerts, favorites, and reviews. So sorry for the delay, but we had finals, graduations, emergency and planned surgeries, babysitting, and a whole bunch of other things. A huge thanks to hgbkwrm for betaing this and being there for all nighter talks, and to Flightlessbird11 for agreeing to go beat up Edward with us because he deserves it. **

**EPOV:**

"Aw, fucking hell! Shit! How come nobody fucking told me?!"

"Well, Dip Shit, nobody should _have_ to fucking tell you," Jasper said. _Obviously, somebody does need to tell me._ I looked over at Emmett and he was not happy.

"Emmett, dude, come on, don't you agree with me on this one?"

I don't know why I asked him because the look in his eyes gave away his answer immediately: No, he didn't agree with me, at all. I had known Emmett for years and I'd never seen him this upset before. He was seething. "Dude, why are you so pissed?"

A flash of anger came across his eyes, "Are you really that dense that you have to ask why I'm pissed?! You must be more stupid than you appear." He inched closer to my face as he said every new remark. "You ruined her chance! You took away her dream! Do you know how long she has been working for this?!" I opened my mouth to say something, but he cut me off, clearly I wasn't going to get a word in right now. "Since she was five!! She has been working her ass off for fifteen fucking years and you ruined it in a couple of hours!!! She did everything she could to ensure that she would make it to the Olympics and now she won't go at all because of some selfish bastard!"

I was getting really mad now. "Why are you calling me a selfish bastard?"

"Oh, gee, I don't know. Shall we list the reasons why? You are selfish because you never, not once since I've known you, think of anybody but yourself. In all the years we've known each other, I've never seen you show concern toward anyone other than yourself! You're a bastard because you treat girls like they're just pieces of meat. You screw girls and then throw them out on the street! Bella is a great girl and I'll be damned if you try to get with her after today. You better stay away from her because she deserves a hell of a lot better than your sorry ass." And with that he pushed me to the side.

I had completely forgotten that Jasper was there. During all of this, he just stood there, making no attempts to defend me.

"Jazz, come on," I said.

He shook his head, "No. Edward, you're on your own with this one. You've screwed up a lot in the past and I've watched it all happen, and let you deal with it in your own way, on your own terms, but what you did today," he shook is head in disgust, "it's unforgivable. You really took everything from her. I have to agree with Emmett on this one."

His phone rang as he finished his rant. He picked it up and turned around with a soft "Hello." The conversation was quick and he came back to where I was. I was still determined to try and convince him that Emmett was in the wrong. As I opened my mouth, he put his hand up to stop me, "Don't even bother." And he walked away from me towards the parking lot.

I turned around and was greeted with the sight of his back. "Where the hell are you going?" I asked, throwing my hands up in exasperation.

He turned around and said, "I'm going to the girls' house. Emmett and I still have dinner plans with them."

"What?! I thought they didn't fucking want anyone there?"

"No, they don't want_ you_ there."

"Well, what the hell am I supposed to do?"

"I don't know, and frankly, I don't really give a shit." He continued walking and after standing there for a few minutes, I decided I'd try catching up to him. Maybe I'd be able to follow them to the girls' house, but when I got to the parking lot, there was no sign of the jeep. I ran my fingers through my hair in frustration and sighed. I decided to go to the one place I knew I could get some sort of escape from this and maybe even a little bit of sympathy.

I arrived at T.G.I. Friday's in no time at all. As soon as I parked my bike, I walked in and made my way to the bar. I saw Seth as soon as I sat down. He made his way over to me with his usual grin, "Edward! Hey man, what's going on? Whoa, what happened to your eye?"

"Nothing much. I just did the usual and fucked myself over."

"What? How'd you do that?" At that time, I ordered myself a much needed Corona and the bartender brought it to me quickly, which I was thankful for. I took a long drink before I turned back to Seth.

"Do you remember that really beautiful girl with the long, brunette hair, who was in here with Em, Jazz and I last time?"

"Of course I remember her. She was a fine specimen. Why?"

"Well, she's on the softball team at Cal State Fullerton and they had a game today and I went."

Seth gave me a quizzical look, "Well, I don't really see what's so bad about that, but go on."

Before I continued, I took another long drink of my beer, hoping to get some liquid courage.

"It's bad because now she hates me. No, scratch that, she absolutely loathes me. The other night, she made it very clear that she hated me and never wanted to see me again. Emmett and Jasper had plans to go with her two friends, the other two girls who were with her, the small one with short black hair, and the tall, blonde one, to the game today and I decided to make a special appearance." As I was telling him this, I still couldn't see how I was in the wrong. I couldn't have known there was going to be a scout there and even if I had, why should me being there affect her pitching?

"Uh-oh..."

"Yeah, so I get there and wait for them to show up and when they do, the short one starts to go off on me. They all made it obvious that they didn't want me there, but I ignored them and we walked in. When we got to the field, I saw Bella and she saw them and was smiling the most fucking beautiful smile I've ever seen on a girl, until she saw me. Then, the game started and I was just there to see if she really was as good as everybody says she is. She caught my eye a few times while I was observing her skills and I didn't do anything, except give her a few friendly smiles." _And a wink here or there_, I added in my head. "As the game went on, she got worse and worse and gave up a lot of runs. Finally, in the third inning, the coach pulled her out."

"Okay," he said tentatively, "but how did you screw everything up? I don't get it?"

"It turns out there was an Olympic scout there recruiting for the team and he was there to observe Bella."

"Oh shit."

"Yeah, tell me about it. After the game ended, she broke down in her friends' arms and then she turned to me and started blaming it all on me, and then she punched me." I winced a little at the memory, causing my eye to start throbbing.

"The girls left and then Emmett goes off on me for fucking up her chances and Jasper just stood there watching it happen."

"Wow."

I roughly pulled at my hair. "No kidding. So, now everyone is mad at me and wants nothing to do with me."

"Well is there anything you can do to make it up to her?"

"I've been thinking about that since I left the field and I've only come up with one thing. I've been thinking that I may be able to pull some strings to get her another shot with the recruiter."

I looked over at Seth and he seemed to be considering what I had told him. After a few minutes, he finally spoke.

"That could work, but it may take a while. Maybe you can do something more immediate."

"Like what?"

"I don't know, like buy her flowers and make her dinner or something romantic like that."

I considered his advice and decided that I was willing to try anything at this point.

"It's worth a try, I guess," I pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration, "I don't know; I just need to make this up to her somehow."

"Yeah, and the sooner the better, I think." He clapped me on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry man; I'm sure things will work out. What is different about this girl anyway, Edward? I've never seen you so concerned. Maybe you should just move on."

"I have no fucking clue. I can't move on, that's the problem. I just feel this pull towards her. I can't even explain it correctly and it fucking scares the shit out of me."

He shook his head. "Well, I've got to get back to work. I'll see you next time, Bro."

"Yeah, sure."

I spent the rest of my time at the bar, just thinking of ways to make this up to Bella. I knew I had to do something. I was thinking of all the different things I could do, but nothing seemed good enough. I figured I could start out small and send her the flowers that Seth suggested and then work my way up from there. I made it my new goal to make this up to her and to get on her good side. I laughed to myself because I could've sworn that Bella was just like any other girl I had met. At first, I just wanted to get her in my bed, but now, I just wanted her not to hate me. I hoped we could at least be civil towards each other. One drink and another hour later, I decide to leave. As I walked out, I told myself that tomorrow would be when I would start working on my apology to Bella. I hopped on my Ducati and sped my way back home. The entire time was spent thinking of Bella.

**BPOV**

The ride home was a quiet one, neither Rose, nor Alice said anything. I let a few tears fall down my face, but not a lot, I let most of my tears go right after the game. I was livid and I knew who to take my anger out on: Edward Cullen.

I hated him and I didn't know how else to tell him so he would leave me alone, other than making a big banner that said "I fucking hate you" and hanging it in front of his house. Although, he'd probably take it as a sign of affection and he'd still probably show up around me.

When we got home, I opened the door and Mo was there waiting for me, almost as if he knew something was wrong. I kneeled down in the doorway and engulfed him in a hug and said, "Hey Buddy." He just sat there, letting me practically strangle him.

Alice and Rose just walked in around us and went straight to the kitchen. Eventually, I got up and decided to go help Alice and Rose with dinner. Emmett and Jasper were still coming over for dinner and I didn't mind at all. I actually really liked them. It was their "friend" that I didn't care for. I was happy for Rose and Alice, they were two great guys.

As we were working in the kitchen, I decided that I was still upset about everything, but I wasn't going to dwell on it. It was clear that my Olympic dream wasn't meant to be and something else was in store for me. I would just have to find something else to work for.

About forty-five minutes after we got home, the doorbell rang and Alice went to go get it. She was clearly excited about who was behind the door. She opened the door and you could hear Emmett's booming voice from across the house, "Hey Pixie! What's up?"

"Not much. How are you guys? Come on in."

"Thanks. Oh, you know, we're good, still pissed as hell at the douche, though. Mmm, it smells good in here!"

Alice giggled and said, "Bella's food always smells good."

He walked in, catching sight of Rosalie and his face instantly brightened. "Rosie!! I've missed you!"

She laughed and said, "Emmett, it's only been about an hour."

"I know, but I still missed you." He engulfed her in a huge hug that lifted her feet off the ground and spun her around.

I laughed and heard Jasper talking to Alice in his slight southern accent that she loved so much. They walked into the kitchen together and appeared to be lost in their own little world. Emmett put Rose down and came over to me with his arms wide open. "Bella!"

"Hey, Emmett," I said as he gave me a big hug that felt like it was going to crush my rib cage. I felt so tiny being engulfed in his massive form. Luckily, he put me down before I stopped breathing.

After he released me, Jasper, who was there next to him, engulfed me in a hug that was much gentler compared to Emmett's. "Hello, Bella."

"Hey, Jasper." I decided that I really liked these guys and I had a feeling they would be around often. It appeared as though Rose and Alice didn't have any plans of letting them go any time soon. Dinner was just about finished and we all moved into the dining room to eat.

Throughout dinner, nobody mentioned the game and I was very grateful for that. The conversation was full of funny stories about our childhoods and playful banter between all of us. Emmett seemed to have the best stories and always had some witty remark to say about the rest of our stories. The playfulness of the evening made me forget about what happened earlier and I found that I was really enjoying myself.

When everyone was finished, the guys helped us clear the table. After all the dishes were put in the dishwasher, Jasper and Alice went into the front room and Emmett and Rose went into the family room. I didn't want to impose on either of the couples or feel like a third wheel, so I decided to go upstairs and hang out in my room. I figured I should probably call Jake to tell him about today. I really didn't want to talk about it but, I figured I should just get it over with.

The phone rang a couple of times before he picked up in a very cheerful mood.

"Bella! Congratulations on today! I knew you could do it! Man, I wish I could've been there to see you pitch. I'm sure you kicked their asses, huh? What wa-"

"Jake, stop," I cut him off before he got even more carried away.

The enthusiasm in his voice faltered. "Why?" I stayed silent. "Bells?" Again, nothing. "What's wrong?"

"There's no need for the congratulations. It didn't happen for me." I could feel the tears threatening to spill over.

"What do you mean it didn't happen? You had this in the bag."

"Edward showed up to the game and I choked. It ruined any chance I had of making it on the team." By now, the tears were streaming down my face and I didn't care.

"What?! Cullen was there? I swear I'm going to fucking beat the shit out of him."

I gave a little laugh, "There's no need for that, I already took care of it." I smiled as I thought of my earlier altercation with him.

"What did you do?"

"Nothing much, but he does have a nice shiner now."

He gave a good, hearty laugh. "Well, good. I'm proud of you for ruining that pretty little face of his. He deserved it."

The tears were beginning to slow down now, "Yeah. I just don't know what to do now. Everything I've worked for was so I could be a part of the U.S. team. And now that dream has been turned to dust and thrown out into the ocean."

"Well, don't worry." He was silent for a few moments but then came back with the enthusiasm he had before, "Hey, I'm sure I can pull a few strings for you. I'm not making any promises, but I can sure try to get you another shot."

"No. I don't want you to do that, Jake. It wouldn't feel right."

"Why not? Let me help you, Bells."

"If I let you do that, then I wouldn't have earned my chance. My dream was to _earn_ the chance to be on the team, I don't want it to be handed to me because somebody feels pity for me. I worked for my chance and I blew it. Period, end of story."

"Okay, if you're sure."

"I'm sure. But, thank you for the offer."

"Of course. If you ever change your mind, the offer still stands."

"Thanks, but I think everything will work out. I guess it just wasn't meant to be."

I talked to Jake for a little bit longer. We just talked about what was going on in our lives. He filled me in on what was going on in the Dodgers' games and I told him about school and the team. After about forty-five minutes of talking, we started to say our good byes.

Before he said good bye officially, he said, "I'm really sorry for what happened, Bella."

"Yeah, so am I."

"And as I said, you just let me know, and I'll start pulling those strings for you."

"Again, thanks but, no thanks. It wouldn't be the same if somebody I know was able to pull a few strings. I wanted to earn it. Although, there was one good thing that came from all of this."

"And, what would that good thing be?"

"It gave me a valid reason to punch Edward Cullen in his face."

He laughed his deep laugh, "Yeah that is a good thing. See, there's always a bright side to things."

"In this case, yes, there is a bright side. Thanks, Jake."

"Sure, sure. Goodnight, Bella."

"Goodnight, Jake." I hung up and as I hit the 'end' button, there was a knock on my door. Alice poked her head in, "Can we come in?"

"Of course you can." She opened the door wider and she and Rose walked in and sat down on my bed.

"Did the guys leave already?"

"Yeah, they just did." Alice answered.

They looked back and forth between each other and Rose spoke first, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine."

"Really? You aren't mad or sad or anything?" Alice asked.

"Well, of course I'm mad. My dream is ruined because I let _him _get to me. And I'm sad because I worked so hard all my life for this and blew it. But, I'm not going to dwell on it and let it bring me down." They looked skeptical so I started reassuring them.

"Look, what happened, happened and there's nothing I can do to change it. It's in the past. I can only learn from it and move on. I'll find a different dream to achieve."

"Are you sure? Do you want to talk about it at all?" Rose asked.

"No, I'm good, thanks. I called Jake and told him everything that happened today."

This piqued Alice's curiosity, as she moved to kneel on my bed. "Did you tell him about how you punched Edward?"

I had to laugh at how happy she sounded at that piece of information. "Yes, I told him."

This got Rose's attention, "And? What did he say?"

"He said that he was proud of me for 'ruining that pretty little face of his' and that he deserved it."

They both nodded their heads. "Of course he deserved it! He is a total dick!" Alice screamed.

"I agree. Nothing good can come from someone like him," Rose said.

"Yeah, I know."

"Well, as long as you're okay." Alice said.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I looked at both of them and Alice was bouncing up and down, looking as if she wanted to say something so bad but, was holding back. I looked at her confused until the wheels started turning in my head and I knew what she wanted, so I gave it to her. "So how was your time with the guys?"

"Oh my gosh, Bella!! Jasper is amazing!" And with that, I got a full play-by-play of her evening with Jasper. I could tell that she really like him and, from what she told me, he really liked her, too. I was so happy for her. After she was done with her description of the night, I looked over at Rose.

"So how was your time with Emmett?"

She averted eye contact with me. It was that particular mannerism, right there that gave her away. "You really like him, don't you?" I asked.

She looked at us with the largest grin on her face and just nodded.

I gave her the biggest hug I could manage and said, "Oh Rose, I'm so happy for you!"

"Thanks."

Alice was getting antsy and when she couldn't contain herself any longer, she yelled, "Spill!! I need details over here! I told you everything about my night, now it's time to return the favor!"

"Okay, okay." And Rose went into her description of her night with Emmett. When she was done, we all had smiles on our faces. It was clear that Alice and Rose really cared for Emmett and Jasper. And, from the sound of it, the guys really liked them too. I was so happy for my best friends. Despite everything that had happened, something good did come out of all of it. My two best friends found two really great guys and I couldn't be happier for them. Now, I just had to find a good thing for me.

**A/N: We actually feel bad for Edward in this chapter, does anybody else feel that way? The song for this chapter is "Over It" by Katharine McPhee. Ok, you guys did so good with the reviews, and then you guys just lost it. What gives? We have time to write now and we have the next two chapters outlined, but we will hold them hostage. We love getting reviews and they get us excited to write. We really do respond to each and every one of them. We appreciate and welcome the comments, suggestions, and criticism. Thanks again! **


	8. Appreciation and the Bomb

Ch. 7: Appreciation and the Bomb

**Disclaimer: We do not own anything, unfortunately. **

**A/N: Well hello there!!! Long time, no see! We've missed you all! A humongous thank you for all the favorite stories/authors, story/author alerts, and the reviews! A big thanks to hgbkwrm for betaing this chapter. **

**BPOV**

The next morning, I woke up in good spirits considering my dreams had just been shattered. I sat up in my bed and just looked at Mo, who was still fast asleep at the foot of my bed. The previous night, I had thought about what had happened at the game and knew it was my own fault for messing up my chances. I let Edward get into my head, but that wasn't even the worst part. There have been plenty of games that I've pitched where the circumstances were much more intimidating and nerve wracking and I was able to push through and help our team to victory. So why was this time any different? I don't think I'd ever know, but I was prepared to accept it and move on with my life.

I sighed and threw the covers off of me before climbing out of bed. Mo followed me as I crept downstairs, careful not to wake Alice and Rosalie. After I let Mo out in the backyard, I started making breakfast for the three of us. Just as I was plating up the food, Rose and Ali stumbled into the kitchen in their usual morning stupor. "Good morning," I greeted as I set their plates in front of them.

"Morning," they replied back in unison, digging into their breakfasts.

"How are you holding up?" Rose asked me between bites.

"It still sucks, but it's my own fault. I shouldn't have let him get to me the way he did. I don't know what happened. I mean, it's not like I haven't been in more stressful situations and pitched a good game."

"True, but he was definitely fueling the fire. I didn't miss the looks he was giving you," Alice said.

"I know, I definitely didn't miss those either. I don't know what it is about him, but he just gets under my skin, you know? Maybe it's everything that I've heard from Jake, I don't know. He's just irritating!"

"You can say that again," Rose said with a laugh, "He's a first rate asshole who deserves a hell of a lot more than that punch you landed on his face. And by the way, I'm proud of you for that."

"Seriously, Bella, that was one gnarly punch. That should teach him not to mess with you. Don't mess with the bull or you'll get the horns," Alice added as she shook her head. Both of them seemed to be more awake now that they had food in their stomachs and a little infuriation from the douche bag himself.

"Ha, thanks you guys. I was just in the moment and the moment said to punch him. But I do have to admit that it felt good to let loose on him a little." We all laughed at that. "Okay you two, finish up and get ready. We have to leave soon," I said as I finished cleaning up and headed toward the stairs.

I quickly changed and packed my backpack and gear bag for practice. I was definitely ready to redeem myself during practice and was hoping that I'd be able to, once again, use my anger towards Edward to help push me to pitch better rather than let him get to me like he did at the game. I was better than that.

Half an hour later, Ali, Rose, and I were throwing our bags into the trunk of Alice's Porsche and climbing in. Once Alice dropped Rose and I off, we walked onto campus together. Right before we had to part ways, Rose said, "I'll see you at practice, Bells." She always insisted on sitting in on my practices doing homework or whatever, unless she had something else to do in that time frame.

"Alright," I called, rushing toward my first class of the day.

I only had two classes and they passed by fairly quickly, which surprised me. Usually, I was watching the clock, willing it to go faster. I would be disappointed when I would look at it again and find that only a minute or two had passed. Today, however, I didn't even get a chance to beg the hands of time to move faster. After my last class, I went to the bathroom to change into my practice clothes and then walked towards the field. There were already a few girls at the field waiting out the last few minutes for practice to start, so I set my bag down and joined them in their conversation. When there was a lull in their exchange, Genessa had told me that she knew I was having an off day and that I would do better the next time. That was one of the reasons why I absolutely loved being on the team here. There was always a sense of family and we were always there for each other when needed.

Within the next ten minutes, the rest of the team showed up and we began stretching in preparation for practice. After we were finished stretching, Coach called us in to discuss the previous day's game. I was appreciative when he didn't dwell on the fact that my pitching wasn't up to par. He was proud of us because we were able to come back and not let it keep us down. We finished our discussion and went over the drills we were going to run and, before long, practice was in full swing.

About a half hour into practice, I chanced a look over towards the bleachers and saw Rosalie concentrating on the book in front of her. I didn't miss the group of guys who were sitting in the adjacent grouping of seats, clearly ogling at Rose. To an outsider, it would seem as though she was oblivious to the guys' blatant staring, but I knew better. Rosalie was clearly aware that she was being watched and decided to mess with them a little. She "innocently" tossed her hair to one side and brought her index finger up to her lip as if she were in thought. I looked back towards the guys and laughed at their reactions. They were huddled close together, I'm assuming talking in hushed whispers about the little stunt Rose had just pulled, complete with jabs of their fingers toward her. Rose must have heard my laugh because she caught my eye and gave me a wink with coy grin. _That little vixen._

Practice continued as normal and there was a small sense of pride at the way we were all performing, pushing ourselves to do better. The last part of practice was spent with me practicing my pitches.

"What's up, Poop Face?" Nicole greeted as she sauntered over to the bullpen that I was practicing in.

"Not much," I replied while throwing the yellow ball down to the plate, breaking upwards perfectly.

"I heard about the punch you laid into the douche. Kudos, man," she said, punching me in the arm.

I laughed, "Thanks. I know it wasn't technically his fault, but I will admit that it felt good to let out a little of my frustration. It's a bummer that my chance was shot, but there's always next time. I'll just have to work harder and prove that I can do it," I stated as I threw a perfect curve ball.

"Nice one," Ducky praised and threw the ball back to me.

"Thanks." I threw a few more of each pitch and then got in the swing of things and continued on with my lesson hitting almost every mark. After about forty minutes, Nicole decided I was doing well enough to end my practice session. "Okay Bells, finish with a slider."

I took a deep breath, got the grip on my ball and threw the pitch. I watched it sail towards the plate and hit Ducky's glove right where we wanted it to. I didn't realize I was holding my breath until I released all the air I was holding in with a big huff as soon as I noticed that her glove didn't move.

I threw my hands up in the air in relief. "Finally! That pitch has been giving me some trouble for the longest time," I exclaimed.

Ducky stood up and walked over towards Nicole and me, "Yeah, personally, I'd like to think it's my awesome catching skills that helped you get that pitch down." I scoffed at this and kept walking.

Nicole looked between Genessa and I, "You know, I'd agree with Ducky on this one, but I think it's a stellar pitching coach that made you get this pitch down." At this, I couldn't help but laugh.

"Or, here's a crazy idea," I offered, "maybe it's my determination that helped to get the pitch down." They both stopped walking and laughed. Nicole was the first to speak, "Uh huh, sure Bells, whatever you want to believe." It was this kind of banter that made me love everything about this team. We got our gear, said goodbye, and went our respective ways. I went over to the bleachers to go get Rose.

I walked up to her and noticed all those guys still ogling her, "Hey, Rose. Ready to go?"

She looked up at me and smiled, "Hey. Yup, I'm ready to go. Great practice, by the way. I knew you could do it." I thanked her as she gathered all her books and put them in her bag. As she got up to leave, she turned towards the guys and gave them a big smile "Later boys!" They all stared at her in awe as she grabbed my arm and started walking toward the parking lot, "Come on, Alice is probably waiting for us."

I looked back to see how they reacted to her goodbye and knowledge of their presence. As I clearly suspected, their faces were priceless. "Nice job. Those boys are officially drooling over you."

"Well, I was just having a little fun with them. And it looks like I did my job," she said, looking back one last time. I agreed with her and we walked out to the parking a lot, spotting the Porsche waiting for us.

We got in the car and Alice started speeding through the lot, "Hey, you two! What's new?"

"Oh, nothing much, Rose was just giving some poor boys the biggest tease of their lives."

Alice turned around to look at Rose, "Really? How bad was this one? Was it as bad as the last party?"

I laughed, "No, not that bad, just the usual ogling and drooling, on they guys' part of course."

Rose decided to give her opinion, "Hey, I didn't do anything wrong. I was simply having a little fun."

"Well that won't be for very long! You won't be teasing anyone for a long time, at least not with Emmett around. I highly doubt he's going to appreciate hearing about the guys knocking on our door," I said

"Yeah, we'll see about that," Rose doubted. I didn't miss the hesitation gracing her flawless face.

"I have a good feeling about this one, Rose. Just trust me. I'm rarely ever wrong," Alice comforted. Rose just nodded. The rest of the car ride home was silent, each of us consumed in our own thoughts.

With Alice's speedy driving, we were home in no time and, as per usual, Mo greeted us as we walked in the door. The three of us gathered in the kitchen, each of us slumping down into the barstools. "I'm beat," I stated, just now realizing how tired I really was. I lay my head on my arms that rested on the counter top, looking to my left at Ali and Rosalie. "I think I'm going to take a nap after I shower."

Just as I was about to leave my perch at the bar, I felt a tiny hand grab my wrist. "I have a better idea," Alice began. I raised my eyebrows, encouraging her to continue. "Girls' night in!" she exclaimed.

"I'm in," said Rosalie, "I'm in need of a good dose of estrogen after all the testosterone this afternoon."

Alice and I joined in Rosalie's laughter. "That sounds perfect," I agreed, looking forward to our girl time.

"Excellent! You two start get things set up and I'll call in the pizza," Alice instructed. Her bubbly self started seeping through as the excitement set in. "We haven't done this in a while! This is going to be so much fun! Okay, get to work ladies!" Alice hopped down from her barstool, heading for the drawer by the fridge where we kept the takeout menus and picked up the phone from its cradle on the way.

"Shall we?" I asked Rose, getting up from my own barstool.

"Yes, we shall." We ran up the stairs to the linen cabinet and grabbed the blankets we would need. Then she and I split up and grabbed our pillows from our respective rooms. I left my room and headed toward the stairs where I saw Rose exiting Alice's room with two pillows and a couple blankets in hand.

"Finally!" we heard Ali shout as Rose and I walked into the family room. As hard as it may be to believe, the little pixie was able to move the couches and tables out of the way all by herself in preparation.

"Damn Al, anxious much?" Rose asked with a laugh as she and I threw down the blankets and pillows.

"Um, duh! It's been way too long since our last girls' night in!" she replied as we set up the blankets and pillows. "Okay, ladies, what'll it be tonight?" Ali asked in regards to our movie choice for the evening.

The three of us looked at one another with devilish grins on our faces. "Australia!" we exclaimed.

"Ugh, nothing better than a hot, shirtless Australian, wouldn't you agree?" I asked, to which they responded with eager nods of their heads and laughter at our weakness for hot guys with accents.

Twenty minutes later, the doorbell rang, signaling the arrival of our dinner. Rosalie got up and grabbed the cash we had set out and answered the door. She came back and set the box down in the middle of us and our night of eating entirely too much, gossip, and laughter began.

The rest of the week passed by in much the same fashion, minus the girls' night in. I continued improving my pitching and, before I knew it, our game on Friday had arrived.

As always, Ali and Rose were in the stands cheering me on as I pitched a nearly flawless game. Together, my team and I were able to earn another "W" on our record. After the batter on the opposing team was thrown out at first base, the rest of the Titans in the dugout rushed out onto the field and we rejoiced in a celebratory group hug. Shouts of praise to the team could be heard from all around us. We disentangled ourselves from each other and lined up at home plate to congratulate the opposing team on a job well done. A few of the players and the coaches from the other team told me I pitched a good game and I couldn't contain the smile that took over as I followed my team to the outfield for our discussion of the game. Coach gave praise where it was due but also made sure that we didn't let this win get to our heads. Even if we didn't let it get to our heads, it felt good to bask in the glory a little bit.

The grandstands had cleared out for the most part during our talk, so I was surprised when I felt arms wrap around me. I was expecting it to be Alice or Rosalie, but was startled when I heard his deep voice.

"Great game, Bella!" my offending hugger whispered into my ear.

I jumped forward, out of his grasp and whipped around fast. "What are you doing here?!" I exclaimed.

"What? Is it a crime to want to see my best friend kick ass in her softball game?" Jake asked with an impish grin adorning his childlike face.

"No, but you could've told me you were coming," I said as he engulfed me in his massive arms again.

"And ruin this wonderful surprise?" he asked, motioning up and down to himself. "I think not."

I laughed, "Have I ever told you how full of yourself you are?"

"Maybe once or twice," he admitted as I punched him jokingly in the shoulder. "So, what do you say to accompanying me to dinner? It's been a while since we've had a chance to sit down and talk."

"Sure, I just have to let Rose and Ali know that I won't be riding home with them."

"No need." I gave him a questioning look. "I already told them you'd be going to dinner with me."

"Oh really?" He nodded his head. "And what would have happened if I had said no?" I challenged.

"Psht, like that would ever happen. I'm irresistible, Bells, in case you forgot."

"The big leagues have done nothing to help your growing ego, have they?" I asked rhetorically.

"Not a thing," he agreed with his signature childish grin. "Let's blow this pop stand. I'm starving!"

"What is it with you and constantly being hungry?" I asked with another laugh.

"I'm a guy, 'nuff said," he supplied as he grabbed my gear bag and effortlessly threw it over his shoulder.

"I could've grabbed it," I huffed. I let a little bit of irritation lace my tone.

"Oh, trust me, Bells, I know you could've. But I feel like being a gentleman, so no complaining."

"That's a first," I joked, my "irritation" long forgotten in a matter of seconds.

Jake shot me a pointed glance, trying hard not to let his smile break his façade. "You better watch yourself, Swan," he joked. Being the mature person I was, I stuck my tongue out at him. He guffawed loudly as he threw his free arm around my shoulders and led me out into the parking lot. "I've missed you, Bella," Jake admitted, staring straight ahead. He looked down at me and gave me a small smile.

"I miss you, too, Jake." I emphasized my sentiment with a squeeze of his side. Due to Jake's major league ball schedule and my schooling, we rarely got to see each other during the season. And it was true that I missed him. When I spent time with Jake, I always felt like I could be myself and let my guard down. He was one of the few people who got to see all of me. I'd known Jake for years and he was like an older brother to me, always protective and caring. I smiled at the many adventures we've shared. We reached Jake's Range Rover shortly after. He tossed my bag into the trunk and opened the passenger door for me. "You weren't kidding when you said you wanted to be a gentleman. Thank you."

"I have my moments. And you're welcome." He gently shut my door after me and ran around the front of the car to the driver's side and hopped in. He started the car and sped out of the parking lot and onto the street.

"So where are we off to?" I asked, fully expecting him to offer an answer.

I definitely got an answer, but not the one that I was expecting. "It's a surprise, Bella. Don't ruin it."

"You of all people should know I hate surprises," I nearly whined.

"I know, Bells," he laughed. "But you of all people should know that I don't really care," he shot back.

"Touché," I said. We sat in silence for a few moments before I spoke again. "Please tell me, Jake."

"Not a chance, Bells. Just trust me when I say that you'll enjoy it. You always do."

Knowing that I've been there before made me feel a little better, but I still didn't like not knowing. I wasn't paying attention to where Jake was taking us as we made small talk but a few minutes later, we pulled into a parking lot and the smile breaking through couldn't be stopped. "I should've known."

"Seriously, this is our place. I'm surprised you didn't _ask_ to come here," he said, genuine surprise in his tone. Jake cut the ignition and jumped out of the car. Once again, he ran around the front of the car and opened my door for me, motioning me out with a wave of his hand.

"Wow, Jake, two times in one night? I'm impressed."

"Hey, hey, hey now, no bashing the chivalry," he teased. He shut my door and led me to the entrance of The Old Spaghetti Factory. This was one of my favorite places to eat. Not only was the food good, but the atmosphere here was friendly. We walked into the restaurant and to the hostess desk.

"Welcome to The Old Spaghetti Factory. Just two?" the hostess asked. Jake nodded. "Alright, follow me please," she said as she grabbed two menus and led us to our table.

"I haven't been here since the last time you brought me," I stated with a smile, picking up my menu.

"Me neither. I haven't had time lately," Jake mused. "Plus, I haven't had you to come with." He winked.

"Well, thank you for bringing me," I said with a smile.

"My pleasure." We sat in silence looking over our menus for a few minutes before he set his menu aside and spoke again. "So how are you really holding up, Bells?" he asked.

I chuckled humorlessly. "I should've known this was coming. Um, I guess I'm okay. It's hard to know that my dreams have been crushed, but I'll just have to prove myself to the scouts next time. I don't know why I let him get to me. He's just so conceited and arrogant."

"Worse than me?" Jake asked, clearly trying to lighten the mood. His attempt was definitely working.

"He's on a whole different level all to himself. I never thought anybody could be that conceited and arrogant. I know you warned me about him and I was prepared to an extent, but I doubt that any amount of preparation could ready somebody to meet Edward Cullen." Jake gave me a look as if to say "I told you so." "The night that Ali, Rose, and I went to the game, we went to dinner with the guys."

"And you didn't tell me this, why?" Jake raised his eyebrow. At that moment, our waiter made himself known, so Jake and I placed our drink and food orders.

"It slipped my mind when I was talking to you, sorry." He nodded for me to continue. "Anyway, he brought a girl with him. She practically shoved her tongue down his throat in the parking lot after she nearly tackled him." Jake showed no surprise as I relayed the story. "And then once we were all inside, he spent the entire time talking to me, or at least attempting to, and completely ignoring his date. She was clearly trying to get him to talk to her, but it was like he didn't even know she was there. I called him out on his playboy ways and he didn't even care. Finally, she was able to get his attention and whispered something to him. Two minutes later, they both stood and Edward said that he wasn't feeling well, so they were going to leave. I don't even want to know what they ended up doing." I shuddered.

"That's classic Edward Fucking Cullen for you," Jake sneered. "I can almost guarantee that he kicked her out the next morning. It's what he does. He fucks them and then tosses them out like they're nothing."

"It's awful. Why would girls want to be put in that situation? And how could he do that to, from what you said, countless numbers of girls? It's disgusting." My anger was rising the more I thought about it.

"As for the girls, either they do it just to say that they've been with the 'infamous Edward Cullen' or they're just looking for a good time in the sack. For Edward, it's what he's always known," he stated.

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused by Jake's assessment of Edward's behavior.

"Nevermind, forget I said anything," he said hastily. Normally, I would've pressed for Jake to tell me exactly what he meant, but, judging from his tone, I knew he wouldn't say anymore on the subject.

Just then, our food arrived. Jake and I delved into easy conversation once again, Edward long forgotten. Jake told me how the team was doing this season, confident they'd make it to the World Series. I, in turn, told him how my classes were going and filled him in on how the season was going for us.

"I'm so stuffed," I stated as I tossed my head back. I looked back at Jake. "Thanks for dinner, Jake."

"No problem, Bells. I'm glad we got to do this again." He stretched his arms above his head as the waiter came back with Jake's card. I had tried to get him to let me pay for my portion of the bill but he wouldn't have it. I noticed the waiter hadn't left after dropping off the card. Jake noticed my staring and looked.

"Um, sorry but are you Jacob Black from the Dodgers?" the waiter whispered, seemingly star struck.

Jake's ego soared ten notches at the recognition. "Why yes I am," he stated smugly.

"You're an amazing catcher, I admire you. Would it be too much trouble to ask for an autograph?"

"Sure thing, you got a pen and something for me to sign?" Pride was evident in Jake's every cell. The waiter produced a piece of paper he must have snagged and the pen from the billfold. "Name?" The waiter answered and Jake finished signing. "Thanks for being a fan, Will," he said with a smile.

"Thank you, so much. Have a good evening Mr. and Mrs. Black," Will said as he sauntered away.

"Mrs. Black?" I asked. His smile grew. "Can I smack that smug smile off your face, please?" I joked.

"Hey, it's not my fault I'm an amazing ball player and he mistook you for my beautiful wife. Besides, you know you love being able to say you know a famous baseball player."

"Thank you. And, it appears as though I know more than one famous ball player now that Rose and Ali seem to be hitting it off with Emmett and Jasper. And, of course, there's Edward," I begrudgingly added.

"Well, aren't you one lucky girl?" Jake asked as we stood up to leave. I scoffed as he grabbed my hand and led me out of the restaurant and back to the car. The ride back home was quick but, again, filled with our easy conversation. Jake pulled up in front of the house and shut off the ignition.

"Thanks, Jake," I offered as we sat in silence in the car. I looked at him and noticed the confused look.

"For what?" he asked. He shifted in his seat so that he was facing me and I did the same.

"For always being there for me when I need you. You know exactly how to cheer me up." I smiled.

He gave me a smile of his own in return. "You don't need to thank me for that, Bells. I told you from the beginning that I would always be there as a friend and I meant it. I still do. In any case, you're welcome." For the final time that night, Jake got out of the car and rushed around to my side and opened the door.

"If you're not careful, you're going to spoil me with all this chivalry," I joked.

"You deserve to be spoiled, Bella." He walked me up to the door and engulfed me in a hug. "Thank you for going to dinner with me." He engulfed me in another one of his bone crushing hugs. "See ya later, Bells."

"Bye, Jake." I squeezed him one last time and watched him bound to his car and speed away.

**EPOV**

The next morning, the shrill ringing of my phone woke me up from the restless sleep I was in. I didn't even think to check the caller ID before I answered. "Hello," I answered groggily.

"How could you do that to Bella?! What the hell has she ever done to you to deserve that?! I can tell you what she's done! She's done absolutely nothing to deserve that!" the voice screeched.

I had had enough. "Who the hell is this?!" I yelled back as soon as I was able to get a word in.

"It's Alice, you piece of shit!" Recognition of Bella's pixie-like friend dawned on me.

"How the hell did you get my number?!" I knew for a fact that I didn't give it to her.

"That doesn't matter! What matters is what you did to Bella's chance at her Olympic dream!"

"I didn't fucking do anything to her chances! It's not my fault she cracked under pressure!"

"She didn't crack!" her voice softened then. "Why do you keep bugging her?" she asked.

"I don't know, okay? I don't know what it is about her, but I can't just forget about her. How is she?"

"She says she's okay, but I know her better than that. She's torn up inside. Fifteen years of work, seemingly for nothing now. And you can't deny that you're partially to blame," she stated.

"Okay, fine, I'm partially to blame. What the hell do you want from me?" I threw my free hand up.

"I want you to fix it. No, you need to fix it. And if you don't, you'll get much worse than a shiner."

Before I could say anything back, she had hung up and I was left listening to the dial tone. "Well, that was a pleasant wake up call," I said sarcastically to myself. Yeah, I fucked up, but I still didn't appreciate being yelled at, especially this early in the morning. I threw my phone back onto the nightstand and rubbed my hands over my face. I laid there for a few minutes thinking of my talk the previous night with Seth. I knew I needed to fix things with Bella, that was clear, but I was still trying to figure out how.

After contemplating my plan for a few more moments, I looked at the clock and knew I needed to get up soon to pack for the flight to Arizona for our next game. Running my hands over my face one more time, I threw the blankets off of me and climbed out of bed. I changed, grabbed the clothes I would need for our three-day away game series and packed them away into a duffel bag. Checking one last time to make sure I had everything I would need, I zipped up the bag and ran down the stairs and out to the garage.

The drive to John Wayne Airport was spent figuring out who I could call to pull the strings needed to get Bella her shot at the Olympics. If I could get her this chance, there would be no possible way, in my opinion, she could be angry with me anymore. As I had told Alice, I didn't know what it was about Bella, but she wasn't like my usual conquests. With the others, I had no problem kicking them out after I had gotten what I wanted out of them. With Bella, I hadn't even had her in my bed yet, and I knew that I wouldn't be able to just kick her out of my house as I had been used to doing. She was different.

Once at the airport, I pulled up to the valet parking, grabbed my bag out of the back, and tossed the keys to the valet. Before walking into the terminal, I took a deep breath, preparing for the onslaught of attention that never failed to follow me when I went to any airport. The automatic doors slid open and I walked confidently through them. My ticket was already given to me after our last game, so I made my way straight to the security line. As I walked, I glanced out of the corner of my eye and noticed a few people point in my direction and talk in hushed voices. I smirked to myself and resisted letting the building chuckle escape. Fortunately, the security line went fast and, before long, I was walking into the room that our team waited in before our flights. Emmett, Jasper, and a few other teammates were already there. "Hey, guys," I greeted as I threw my bag in a corner.

Emmett gave me one disgusted look and got up to join another conversation. Thankfully, Jasper seemed to still be willing to talk to me, though he clearly wasn't happy. "Hey, Edward," he said curtly.

"He's still mad?" I asked, pointing to Emmett. He chose that moment to shoot me another glare.

"You think? You made an asshole out of yourself and you didn't see anything wrong with it. I'm beginning to think that I don't know you anymore. Yeah, I'm angry, but I can't be seething when we have a series coming up. You really do need to fix things with Bella. She deserves a fair shot at the Olympics."

Just then, James walked into the room, looking as pompous as ever. "Whitlock, Cullen," he greeted. Just hearing his voice sent a shiver up and down my spine. Jasper nodded his head, always one to keep the peace. I, on the other hand, ignored him, not looking forward to his childish antics. He put his bag where the rest of ours lay and came back over to Jasper and I. _Just great_, I thought to myself. He sat right next to Jasper and acted as if he was actually welcomed over here. "Wow Cullen, nice shiner."

"Fuck off, James. I'm not in the mood," I said in a scarily calm voice, my hands fisting at my sides.

"Did Whitlock and McCarty finally knock some sense into you?" he asked, inspecting my eye closer.

Emmett surprised me by making his way over back to us. "Trust me, I would love to beat his ass right now, but I feel that Bella has already taken care of that for me," he stated.

"Bella?" James inquired. "Is she your latest fuck?" He accented that with a wiggle of his bushy eyebrows.

The way he regarded Bella had my blood boiling. "No. Leave it the fuck alone, James. It's none of your business." It was taking everything in me to not bolt out of my seat and land a few punches of my own on him. I knew if I blew up at him, word would most likely get to the coaches and I'd be benched.

"Oh, she's not? Well, then I guess you wouldn't mind if I decided to give her a fun time, would you?"

I felt my nostrils flaring and I was vaguely aware of my nails digging into my palms. "You don't even know who the hell she is. And even if you did, you wouldn't have a chance at 'giving her a fun time.'"

He could tell that his words were getting to me. "Damn, I thought it would've been a similar situation to Jessica's." My confused look was evident. "Yeah, she and I definitely made some noise last night."

"I don't give a flying fuck about that, James. She doesn't mean anything to me. Leave. Me. Alone."

Much to my dismay, James continued to grate on my nerves and I was powerless to do anything about it. I don't know why he couldn't get it through is damn skull that he wasn't liked, especially by me. I take that back, he knew exactly what was going on and he chose to make my life a living hell. Thankfully, the plane began boarding and we were able to go to our gate. I was praying that James and I wouldn't be forced to sit next to each other. Having to be next to him during an entire flight, even if it was only for an hour, was not something I would ever look forward to.

Luck was on my side as Jasper and I were seated next to each other. I stowed my bag in the overhead compartment and flopped down into my seat, Jasper following. We sat for a few minutes not saying anything. I wasn't sure what to say and it seemed as though Jasper was having a similar problem.

Finally, he spoke, "So, do you know how you're going to make it up to Bella?"

I gave a humorless laugh, "I have a few ideas. And speaking of making it up to her, I got a call from Alice morning early this morning." I gave him a glance. "Did you give her my number?"

"I did. She said she wanted to talk to you about Bella, so I figured it wouldn't hurt. Was it bad?"

"She yelled at me from the beginning and warned that if I didn't fix it, I'd 'get worse than a shiner.'" He laughed. "Anyway, I think I'm going to try to pull some strings and get a recruiter to come back and give Bella another shot. I talked to Seth about it last night and he said that it would probably take a while to accomplish that task, so suggested that I do something that could be done as soon as possible. Maybe send her some flowers, try asking her to dinner so I could apologize, something like that."

"I think that may actually work," Jas said after thinking it over for a moment. "It better," he added.

"I hope so. After actually thinking about it, I feel terrible for taking part in ruining her chance."

"No offense or anything, but I never thought I'd see the day where you cared about a girl, let alone one that you haven't had in bed yet. I'm proud of you, Man." He emphasized it with a clap to my shoulder.

"Thanks," I smiled a little. Before long, the plane left the tarmac and we were in the air. I settled back into my seat, thinking about the brunette beauty that was constantly invading my thoughts.

**A/N: Phew doggy!!! That was a long chapter! Thank you guys so much for sticking with us through those eight months! Our other story is done and this will become our main focus. So a few surprises in there and there's a little more insight into our characters. The song we used for this chapter is "Appreciation and the Bomb" by Spill Canvas. Okay, since we mentioned this story in LRTS, we've gotten more notifications for this story and we like it! So if we could keep this up but incorporate some reviews in there that would be phenomenal!! So just take a minute or two to drop us a line. Thank you!**


	9. Battles

Ch 8: Battles

**A/N: Hello lovelies!!! We'd like to thank you for all the favorite stories/authors, story/author alerts, and reviews! And the biggest thank you ever to hgbkwrm for betaing this chapter and getting it back to us in a timely manner!**

**EPOV**

It. Was. Hell. Arizona was horrible. Those three games were probably the worst I have ever played since the beginning of my career. I couldn't field a damn ball to save my life, couldn't catch a ball, or a simple toss for that matter, I couldn't even do a pick off play. I was known for being able to do a pick off like nobody's business! One person and one person only constantly distracted me, Bella. She never left my mind since we left the airport. She literally invaded every thought I had.

It was unfathomable to me how one girl could affect me like this, no one ever has. And one girl sure as hell has never affected the way I play. I was able to start the first game as planned but it wasn't pretty. I was constantly screwing up. As the game went on, I just got worse and worse. We won, but I didn't contribute much to that. After having a horrible first game, I was kind of glad that Spiezio would be starting the next day. I was hoping that by then Bella would be out of my mind and I could actually focus.

Sitting out the second game didn't really help matters. She was still there! No matter what I tried, she was always on my mind. I tried to immerse myself in the game by being right up against the fence but then I would look into the stands and see a brunette and she would be right back in my mind. This had to end. And soon.

The third game was our last one and the series was tied. We just needed to win this one and we would have another win which could get us one step closer to the World Series. I was a little worried that all my mistakes in the first game would jeopardize my chances of starting the third game but I was still starting. The first couple of innings went better than I had expected and I started to get my hopes up that I could make a someback after the disaster that was the first game, but then things went downhill. By the third inning I was making rookie mistakes that someone like James should be making, not me. For what seemed like the fiftieth time this series, I let a ball go by which helped advance runners and the other team score. After that play finished, I saw Soscia come out of the dugout followed by Scott, my replacement. _Fuck. _

"Cullen, bench."

I walked towards Soscia, handed him the ball, and walked to the locker room. I looked to my right and saw James smirking and saying a few things that I'm sure were meant for my ears only but I simply ignored him. As I was walking, I heard the customary applause from the stands and I lifted my hat without looking up. This applause was undeserved. I knew just as well as anyone else that I sucked and there was no excuse. I let her get to me.

After getting a shower and packing up all my things I left to get back on the plane to California. I knew my coaches and teammates weren't happy with my playing and I knew I'd be hearing about it at the next practice. The one good thing about me going home early was that I would be able to make this whole thing up to Bella sooner rather than later. I just had to figure out what it was that I was going to do exactly.

The plane ride back was short and quick. I tried to give my mind a rest but my mind wasn't having it. I was continuing to think of Bella and the many different things I could do to make it up to her. Sending her flowers seemed like a good idea but doing that would make it appear that I wasn't trying. So if I took her to dinner and gave her the flowers myself it would seem like I genuinely do care about her and what I did to her. This would be the best I could do until I could get someone to come and look at Bella again. Hopefully, she would accept my dinner invitation and let me apologize to her.

The next few weeks after the Arizona series, which we were, luckily, able to win, went as expected. The first day back at practice was when I got shit for how I played from everyone and Coach said that Scott would be starting my next game unless I could prove that I was out of my funk. The entire team didn't hate me completely. Most of the guys just thought I was having an off week just like everyone else does at some point. James was the only one who really gave me a lot of shit for playing like a rookie. I just ignored him the best I could. I figured fighting with him would definitely mean that I had absolutely no chance of starting and I was hoping to earn that spot back. Luckily, Jasper and Emmett weren't too hard on me for how I played. When I explained that Bella was the reason I couldn't focus, Emmett found this to be a perfectly acceptable excuse and said that it was good I was getting a taste of my own medicine. Jasper simply said, "What goes around comes around."

Eventually, I was able to focus on the practices and got back to being the amazing ball player I was known to be. I earned my spot back for starting and now James was the one who fucked up every play. Jasper was right, what goes around comes around.

It was about three weeks after Arizona when we had our best practice yet. All the plays were made with minimal mistakes and everyone seemed to be working together, including James when he was on the field. Emmett was finally talking to me again and the three of us were back to being the fucking Three Musketeers, walking into the locker room together.

"God! I'm starving! Thank God practice is over 'cause this boy needs some food in his stomach!" Emmett's voice was audible throughout the entire room and, probably the entire stadium for that matter.

Jasper looked at Emmett with annoyance clear on his face, "You're always hungry. All you want to do is eat."

We grabbed our stuff, ready to hit the showers. "Practice makes me work up an appetite and we just had the best practice of the season!! We need to eat some good food to keep this streak going."

"Whatever, Man." Our showers ended and, by the time we were getting dressed, we were all hungry.

Jasper spoke up at that time, saying he was going to cook some food and we were more than welcome to come by his place. Emmett, of course, jumped on that invitation. I, on the other hand, had decided to pass. I needed food in my house and if I didn't go get some today, I wouldn't go for another two weeks. I put it off for as long as I could already.

We grabbed our stuff and made our way out to the parking lot. Our cars were, of course, in our designated spots. We got in our respective vehicles and said bye to one another. Emmett and Jasper sped through the parking lot heading towards Jasper's house, while I went my own way towards my house with a quick stop at the grocery store. I made it there in no time, planning to only going to get the bare essentials of what I needed. I was walking through the store towards the produce section when I stopped suddenly to look at the cereals on a corner display. I grabbed a box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch and started to turn around when I felt someone slam into my chest, causing me to drop the box and they dropped some stuff too. As we both bent down to pick up our respective groceries, they started apologizing.

"Oh gosh! I'm so sorry. I need to start watching where I'm going and stop looking down all the time."

I ceased my movements at that moment; I knew that voice. I had heard it before. I looked up and saw that face; the face that had taken center stage in my mind for days.

"Bella."

"Edward?" I stood up and took in her face. She looked more beautiful than the last time I had seen her.

"Hi. Um, look, about what happened at your game, I didn't know that there was a scout there and I didn't mean to make you screw up and-" She stuck her hand up to stop me.

"Edward. Just forget about it. It's fine, I'm over it."

"Oh. Well, that's good you're over it. There's no room for whiners out on the field. And I'm sure you pitched the best you could. The other team probably could've scored more runs but they missed some pitches that sailed right down the middle. Maybe they were distracted by how horrible you were pitching."

She gave me a disgusted look. "You are unbelievable."

I leaned up against the display and felt the smirk forming on my face, "Unbelievably good? Yes, I know, but thanks for the reminder."

"No, unbelievably cocky."

"Well, you wouldn't know that, you have yet to sleep with me. You wouldn't know how big I am unless you're psychic. Now, I don't think you're psychic, so I'm willing to offer you time with me so you can see if I really am just as cocky as you believe I am," I said with a wink.

"Oh my God. Seriously, get over yourself already. You are nothing but a pompous asshole and I wouldn't dream of sleeping with you. Ever."

"That's because you couldn't handle my skills in the bedroom. Just like you couldn't handle my skills on the field."

"Oh please! You couldn't handle _my_ skills on or off the field."

"I could hit off you any day, anytime." I could tell that she was getting upset during this entire exchange but that last comment seemed to have sent her over the edge.

"You think you could hit off me?!?!"

"Sweetheart, I don't think I can. I _know _I can." At this point, I could tell she was furious, but I just kept pushing her.

"Alright. If you're so confident in your ability to hit off me, then we'll have a hit off."

"A hit off?"

"Yes. A hit off. We pitch to each other and the one who can hit the most fair balls out of twenty good pitches wins."

"And what happens after it's over?"

"There will be consequences for the loser and a prize for the winner."

"Okay. We'll call the consequences and prize the day of the hit off. When are we doing this thing?"

"How about Thursday morning at nine. Travis Ranch Park in Yorba Linda."

I got up from leaning against the display and started walking around her, "Got it. See you there, Sweetheart." I whispered putting my lips near her ear, making sure she felt my breath on her skin.

She faltered for a moment before regaining her composure. "Count on it." And with that, she stormed her way towards the checkout lines. As soon as I knew she was out of earshot I got on my phone and called Jasper.

"Hello?"

"Jasper, I just fucked up."

"What's up, Man?" I relayed the entire incident that had just transpired between Bella and I to him.

"I don't know what to do, Jazz. I don't want to hurt her but it seems like that's all I'm capable of doing. I swore I wouldn't hurt her again and that I would offer to make the entire Olympic thing up to her the next time I saw her, but all I did was insult her and make her hate me more."

Jasper stayed silent the entire time I was telling him the story. When I finished, he finally spoke up. "Honestly, I'm at a loss as to what to say and I don't know what more I can tell you to do."

"What? You always have something to say. I need your advice, Jasper. Hell, I'll even take all that philosophical shit you've given me before."

"I don't have anything for you, dude."

I continued on with my grocery shopping as we continued talking, "Fine. Whatever. So what's new with you?"

He said a bunch of things that were going on with him, but I wasn't really paying attention until he said Bella's name, affectively capturing my attention. "Wait. What'd you say about Bella?"

"I said that Emmett and I have been hanging out with Alice and Rose more because we've been going to Bella's games. And I've gotta say man, she's a lot better than that one game you saw her pitch."

"Really?"

"Yep. In fact, I actually think that Bella might be able to strike you out."

I laughed at that, "Yeah, sure. I know for a fact that I'll have no problem hitting off her." We continued the small talk for a little longer until I finished my shopping and left. This hit off would be nothing for me.

**BPOV**

After my dinner with Jake, things seemed to get better. After that one disastrous game, our team pulled together and we were able to win every game since then. Personally, I was doing a lot better than what I had been doing. All my lessons were going really well and our practices made it look like our team was traded in for a newer model. School was going amazing and even things between Rose and Emmett and Alice and Jasper were going well. They had been coming to watch my games more often and I enjoyed having them there. Everything seemed to be looking up.

The next few weeks went by surprisingly fast and I had pretty much forgotten the entire game that Edward showed up to. I was over it and had finally accepted that I wasn't going to go to the Olympics and I'd find a new dream to achieve.

One of the days after we had an amazing practice, we got home and, after greeting Mo, I went straight to the kitchen to start making dinner. We were missing a couple things that I would need to make the meal, so I made a list, got my keys, and made my way to the store.

I was on my way to get the last couple of things I needed when I looked down at my list and turned a corner. I felt a sharp pain in my chest and dropped a few of my things on the ground.

Out of habit, I immediately started apologizing to the person I had run into.

"Oh gosh! I'm so sorry. I need to start watching where I'm going and stop looking down all the time."

I bent down to pick up the things that I had dropped and looked to see that I had run into the corner of a cereal box. I stood up and looked at whomever I ran into to make sure they were okay. I would recognize that face anywhere. And he recognized me.

"Bella."

"Edward?" I can't believe it was him. I hadn't seen him since the incident, except on the television when we watched the games.

He started to apologize about the game, but I just told him to stop. I was okay now and I didn't want to dwell on that. I thought he was being truly sincere, so I was going to forgive him. And then he just had to go and ruin it by being cocky.

After a very unpleasant conversation, we decided to have a hit off Thursday morning. I wasn't sure what the consequences were going to be or what the prize was going to be, but I didn't care. All I cared about was beating him and proving myself. As soon as I left the store, I got on the phone and called the one person who, I knew, would be able to help me beat him.

They picked up on the third ring, "Hello?"

"Hey Nicole. I need some extra lessons before next Thursday."

"Okay, but why?"

I explained the whole situation that just occurred with Edward and luckily, she was all for it. "Of course I'll give you some extra lessons! I'm excited. I know you have it in you to whoop his ass!"

**A/N: Okay, so we know that this chapter is short but fear not!!! There is a reason for this and it will all make sense later, just trust us. And this was a pretty quick update if we do say so ourselves. The song we used for this chapter is "Battles" by The Spill Canvas. We recently discovered a cover of Ke$ha's song, "Tik Tok" that was done by Spill Canvas and you guys should definitely check it out. We'll put the link up on our profiles. We've gotten a fair amount of reviews for last chapter so lets keep it up and shoot for even more reviews now!!!**


	10. Crash Course

Ch 9: Crash Course

**A/N: Hello, hello there! Long time, no see! And that is our fault and we apologize to you all for the huge delay. School is winding down and hopefully the updates will be more frequent. Thank you all so much for all the favorite stories/authors, story/author alerts, and reviews! And a huge, ginormous thank you to hgbkwrm for betaing this chapter and getting it back so quickly!**

**BPOV**

Anger. That was the first emotion I felt when I started driving back towards home. The fact that I almost fell for his act pissed me off. He seemed really sincere at first, and then he just had to go be the arrogant asshole everyone loved to hate.

I was able to calm myself down shortly after because excitement set in. I loved pitching and the fact that I would finally be able to show him what I could do gave me a rush. I have been pitching my entire life, so this hit off would be nothing because I would do anything to prevent him from getting inside my head.

As I walked in the door, I heard music coming from the kitchen and made my way over there to see both Alice and Rose working on homework. "Guess who I ran into at the store."

Alice put her pen down and looked up first, "Um I don't know! Who?"

"Edward Cullen."

Rose, who hadn't stopped working on her homework, dropped her pen. "No you didn't."

"Yes I did. And to make matters worse, I literally ran into him." They turned in their chairs to hear the rest of the story. I replayed the entire conversation for them and finished with the news about the hit off on Thursday.

They both just stared at me, mouths agape, until Rose spoke up first. "So he acted like his usual self and now there's a hit off?"

"Yes. Twenty pitches from one of us to the other and whoever hits the most, wins."

"Well," Alice said, "what's the prize for the winner? And what does the loser have to do? I know you two aren't just playing for kicks and giggles so there has to be something at stake here. What is it?"

"I don't know exactly. We never talked about that. We just agreed to it and went our separate ways. I left and called Nicole to schedule some extra lessons before Thursday and he went God knows where."

Rose took the opportunity to speak up, "I can tell you where he went, he went to go see if he still had his balls because he doesn't understand what he just got himself into. There's no way in hell he's going to win this, especially with the history between you two."

Ali and I laughed at her remark. "Thanks Rose." With that, I got up and started making dinner with a smile on my face. Rose was right; there was no reason why I couldn't win. So long as he stayed out of my head, I'd be okay. And after I won, he wouldn't have that stupid smirk on his face twenty-four freaking hours a day. _But it was a sexy smirk, Bella. A smirk that makes a light shine in his eyes. And the smirk pillowed by those amazing lips….STOP IT! He cannot get inside your head._ Right then and there, I promised myself that I would not think about Edward Cullen until Thursday came around and I could watch that smartass smirk fall right from his glorious face.

I had a little over a week to practice as much as I could, with and without Nicole. She and I worked together during practice and then stayed after for a little just for good measure. The first few practices were reviewing mechanics for each pitch and just making sure I had those down pat. Then we moved on to the pitches I needed the most help with. Everything was review for me, but I was okay with that. Practice makes perfect, right?

"Get this last pitch in and we'll be done for today." It was my fourth day of extra practices and I had been at this for a while and the last few pitches hadn't been the best, so I really wanted to make this last one perfect. I took a deep breath, hit the ball against my hip and went into my motion. It was a fastball on the outside, not a hard pitch at all. Yet I missed the mark. It went to the extreme right of the plate and hit the side of the cage. I put my hands on my hip and threw my head back. "Ugh!"

"All right Bells, you're done for the day. Ducky, you can go ahead and leave."

"What? No, not yet, just one more try." I looked at Nicole with pleading eyes as she patted Genessa on the back and told her to grab her gear. She complied and headed towards the parking lot as Nicole came over to me. "What's the matter?"

I looked away, avoiding her knowing gaze. "Nothing, I'm fine."

"Come on, Bella. You can't really expect me to believe that."

"I honestly don't know what's wrong. I was doing fine up until the end and then it just went downhill. I wouldn't have been able to pitch my way out of a wet paper bag with the crap I was throwing."

"Hey, look at me," I did and listened to what she had to say, "you did just fine today. You're having an off night, so what? Everyone does. We've been at this for hours so you're probably tired, probably haven't had much to eat or drink either, which makes you crabby. We'll start new tomorrow."

"I know, I just, I just want to show him that I'm not a sucky pitcher and that I'm actually really good and that game was just a fluke."

"And you will. He won't be able to hit off you so you'll win and it will cancel out the game he came to."

I grabbed my water and we both started for the parking lot. I knew I had to stop being so hard on myself. I also knew that my greatest competitor was myself, not him. If I could get myself in the right state of mind to focus and keep him out of my head, I'd be good.

I drove home and, once I was in my room, tried to get myself in said state of mind. It was harder to find than I thought it would've been. I was constantly worrying about him, his hitting, and my pitching. And the hitting. _Shit. _I had been so worried about the pitching that I forgot all about the hitting aspect of the deal. Sure I knew how to hit, but as a pitcher in college, we didn't generally bat during games. As a result, I didn't get a lot of batting time in at practice. There were only five more days until the competition on Thursday, so I had to work something in that would ensure my win over Edward.

I woke up the next day feeling good. My mind was at ease knowing I just needed to work on myself for the hit off. I went down to the kitchen and was shocked to see Alice and Rose already sitting down at the island. "Morning, you two."

"Morning, Bells!" They said simultaneously.

"What are you guys doing just sitting here?"

They both turned to me and smiled sweetly. "We were waiting for you to come make us yummy food!" Alice said.

I laughed, turned on some music and pulled out the ingredients out for French Toast Casserole. I began putting everything in the pan as we talked about our past weeks. They asked about my extra lessons and how they were going. I told them about yesterday's practice and how I knew I was my own worst enemy and I wouldn't be thinking about Edward or anything or anyone having to do with him until Thursday. Talking about it didn't make me so worked up anymore. I was pleased to know that I had found the state of mind I had been searching for. Once the casserole was in the oven I turned to them, "So what are you guys planning on doing today?"

Rose sounded kind of excited when she answered, "Well, Emmett and Jasper wanted to come over today to hang out."

"Oh that sounds like fun. When are they coming by?"

"Like early afternoon, probably."

Alice was silent the entire time but finally spoke up, "But if you just want to have a day to relax, then they don't have to come over." I knew she was trying to support me in my 'No thinking of anything or anyone associated with Edward' state of mind, but I could see that both she and Rose really wanted to see the boys. And I actually liked Emmett and Jasper, they were nothing like _Him. _

"No, it's fine. I was actually going to call Jake to see if he would catch for me and help with my hitting." I wanted to get as much practice in as I could.

"Oh! What if Emmett and Jasper help you? They're his best friends on the team so they know what his weaknesses are. Granted, neither of them are pitchers, but neither is Edward, so they could tell you what he's most likely going to throw."

"No, I don't want to take your time away from them. I'll just call Jake, it's fine."

Rose got the phone off the hook, "Too late! We're calling and asking them!" Before I could object again, she had already dialed Emmett's number and was counting the rings till he picked up. On the fourth ring he picked up, "Hey, Emmett, it's Rose."

"Yes, you guys can still come over, but I have a question. Apparently Edward and Bella are having a hit off this Thursday and," she looked at me and emphasized, "_we_ were wondering if you and Jasper could help Bella out."

A moment passed in which Emmett spoke and only Rose heard. "You know, just catching for her as she pitches to one of you and then helping perfect her hitting. She knows how to, obviously, she just wants to brush up on it."

Only a second passed until we saw a grin creep across Rose's face. "Great, see you soon! Bye!"

She put the phone back on the receiver and looked at me. "You're welcome."

"Thanks, but that was very unnecessary. Jake would've been more than willing to help."

"True, but Emmett and Jasper know how _he_ plays. They'll give you the upper hand in the situation and that's just what you need to beat him."

I didn't really have anything to say to that because it made perfect sense. They've been playing with him for years, they know his strengths and weaknesses.

Alice hopped off the barstool she had been sitting on, "Well! As much as I would love to continue this conversation, I must go get ready for the day!" and walked to her room with Rose following.

"Yup, I'm with Ali, and you better get dressed too, Bella."

There was still some left over casserole but I decided to leave it out just in case Emmett or Jasper would want any, and it would most likely be Emmett who wanted some. Who am I kidding? He'd probably inhale that thing. After putting the dishes in the dishwasher I went up to my room to put on some shorts and a shirt and checked to make sure I had all my gear ready to go for when the guys got here. As I was grabbing my cleats, I heard the doorbell ring and Alice running down the stairs, screaming, "I've got it!"

Emmett's voice echoed through the entire house as they walked in, "Hey, Pixie! How goes it? Oh man! It smells good in here! What is that?"

Alice laughed her tinkling laugh, "It goes, Gigantor. And that wonderful aroma assaulting your sniffer would be Bella's French toast casserole. I think there's still some on the stove if you want some."

"You bet I want some!" Rose and I came out of our rooms at the exact same time and walked down the stairs together. Rose rolled her eyes at this comment but smiled and said, "Trust me; you're going to love it."

He turned around at the sound of her voice and his smile got impossibly bigger, "Oh, hey Rosie! Hi, Bella!"

"Hey, Emmett. There's plenty of casserole left over so help yourself."

He marched his way towards the kitchen, "Thanks! I will!"

Rose followed him into the kitchen, "I swear, he's like a Hoover."

I laughed and looked towards the doorway where Alice and Jasper were standing, just looking at each other and they seemed to be saying everything and nothing at all with just that one look. Jasper finally unlocked his gaze from Alice's and turned towards me, "Hello, Bella."

"Hey, how are you?"

He spoke with that Southern drawl that visibly made Alice's knees go weak, "I am doing very well, thank you. How 'bout yourself?"

"Great! Thanks! If you want some casserole, go in and help yourself, there's plenty there."

He laughed a deep laugh, "Ah, that may have been true before we arrived, but Emmett is here now, so I'll be lucky to get a sliver of food but I'm going to go try my luck." With that, he walked into the kitchen as well. Alice was staring lovingly at him, "You okay, Al?"

She had a dreamy look in her eye as she stared after him, "Huh? What? Oh, yeah, I'm great, just great."

I chuckled at the effect Jasper had on her and grabbed her hand to join the others in the kitchen. We walked in to see Rose putting the pan in the sink. "Well, that went quick."

I looked over to Emmett whose entire plate was covered in the casserole. "This tastes AMAZING! My compliments go to the chef!"

"Thanks, Em. Glad you like it." I laughed at how quickly he was stuffing his mouth.

"I have to agree with Emmett on this one Bella. This casserole tastes really, really good. Thank you for sharing."

"Don't mention it, it's the least I could do to thank you guys for helping me out today."

Emmett, who had just finished his plate, glanced up and laughed, "Psht! Are you kidding? I'm psyched to help you out!"

"Thanks, I'm excited you guys agreed to this."

Jasper laid his plate in the sink, "Emmett and I both agree that if you beat Edward…"

"No!" Alice looked insulted, "It's not _if _she beats him, it's _when _she beats him."

"Oh, pardon me Bella, we both agree that _when _you beat him, it will be a good experience for him and maybe he won't be so cocky anymore. At least, that's what we hope will happen."

I sighed, "Yeah, me too."

Rose clapped her hands, "Okay! Well, enough with these theories, let's make it happen. Are you guys ready to go?"

"Hell yeah we are! I was born ready!"

She patted Emmett on the shoulder, "Of course you were. Bella, grab your gear, and we'll take your car?"

"Yeah, sounds good. You guys can just follow us down to the park."

"Cool. We'll be waiting out front." They walked out of the house and hopped into Emmett's Jeep.

I went upstairs to grab my gear and keys then made my way to the garage to grab the bucket of balls that I had. Alice and Rose were waiting in the driveway, so we all jumped in my car and drove to Travis Ranch Park. It wasn't too far away, so we made it there in about ten minutes and were, luckily, able to find an open field.

The boys climbed out of the Jeep, grabbed their gear and joined us on the field. Alice and Rose took their designated spots in the dugout to observe.

I was lacing up my cleats when Emmett approached me, "Alright, Bells. How're we doing this?"

"Um, I'm not quite sure. Someone needs to catch for me and I'm going to need one or both of you to help me brush up on my hitting."

"Okay. How 'bout I catch for you and Jasper can act like a batter for a little bit so you can get the feel for it?"

"Yeah, that sounds good."

Jasper came over and said, "Then when it gets to the hitting, Emmett will pitch to you. Since he works infield with Edward, he may have a better idea of what he would throw, and I'll help you with your stance and all that. Sound good?"

"Yup, that'll work."

I grabbed my glove and Emmett followed me out on the field, bucket in hand, to warm up throwing a little bit beforehand. After my arm was warm, he got behind home and sat on the bucket, ready to go. "Alright, I'm just going to do some warm ups and I'll call everything before I pitch so you're aware of what's coming."

"Got it! What's first?"

"Wrist flicks, then I'll go a little farther back and do a windmill, then I'll go to the mound and throw a few warm up pitches and then we'll get going for real."

"Excellent! Bring it, Bells!"

I started off with standing about a foot away from the plate and just flicked my wrist at my release point. Once I was comfortable with the location, I walked halfway between home and the pitcher's mound and did a simple windmill. I stood facing the front of the home team dugout, pointed my glove at Em, and brought my arm around, releasing the ball. I was doing really well during these warm ups, so I had high hopes for the entire pitching portion of the day. After I felt good and warm with the windmill, I went to the mound and got in my position. "Fastballs," I called. I just threw a few of those as a warm up and once I was satisfied, yelled to Em that we were going to start for real now.

"Yes! Let's go Bella! Burn it in here!"

I pitched and it went right down the middle. I continued throwing those until I felt I had it down completely, and then switched to my next pitch. "Rise," I called.

Emmett's glove moved slightly up in the strike zone and the first pitch was right on target. I could hear Jasper, Alice, and Rose cheering for me in the dugout and couldn't help but smile. I woke up having a good feeling about today and, so far, that feeling was proving right.

After several of those I changed again, "Change up." His glove moved back to his original position. I continued on to my other pitches and was able to hit all my targets without messing up too bad. After I went through all my pitches, I decided to finish up with the basic fastball for good measure. Sometimes, after pitching so many other pitches, it was difficult to get back into the basics of it all. "Five good fastballs and then we're done."

"Alright, time to bring Jasper in. Jasper! You're up dude!"

Jasper came out on the field with a bat in hand, "Don't worry, I'm not going to swing, this is purely for your benefit. Edward and I are about the same height and have almost the same stance so I'm just standing in for the time being."

I nodded and threw the first one, and it landed right down the middle. Jasper would get into the batting stance and act like he was going to hit it, yet the bat never came around. _Starting off good _I thought. It continued through to the very last fastball. After I threw the last one and Emmett caught it, he held it there for a second longer than usual; "That one was b-e-a-utimous" I walked towards them and thanked him. We went over to the dugout to cool off a little bit before beginning the hitting. I sat next to Ali and started drinking my water. Emmett's booming voice made us all look in his direction, "Holy shit! Dude!"

I was perplexed but curious, "What?"

He held up his hand and there was a big purple bruise already starting to form on his palm. "I think something's wrong here…"

Jasper got up to take a closer look at it and started laughing, "Chill, Man. She just popped a blood vessel, or two, or three. I don't know, that's a pretty big bruise forming."

He looked at me in awe, "Do you always pitch like that?"

I started to feel embarrassed, "Um sometimes, I mean, I try to give it my all. My dad's blood vessels would pop sometimes when he caught for me when I was younger but it hasn't really happened since then."

"Wow. You must have some rage built up or something cause this is intense dude. My entire palm is turning a different color."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"It's cool, don't sweat it," there was a mischievous smile starting to form on his face, "in fact, I may just have to show this to Edward so he knows what he's getting himself into."

I couldn't help but laugh, imagining Edward's face when he heard I was able to bruise Emmett's monstrous paw of a hand. It would be priceless. We sat and talked a little longer before we got up to start on the hitting. I grabbed my Synergy, batting gloves, and helmet and followed Emmett out to the field. Jasper followed me towards the plate and Emmett went to the mound. "Alright Bella, Emmett and I figured Edward would most likely rely on his speed than anything else. So be prepared for a lot of fastballs, or his attempt at them anyway."

I nodded, "Do you think he'll throw anything else?"

"He might, but you have the advantage with the pitching seeing as how you are a pitcher and you've been doing it for years. He just throws, really. He may try to throw you off with an off-speed like a drop or change up but they may go astray. So just be aware." He looked over at Emmett who was waiting patiently at the mound, "Ready, Em?"

"You know it! Are you ready Bella?"

"Yeah." The first few pitches were okay, they weren't too fast and I was able to hit pretty much all of them and keep them fair. I was feeling pretty confident I could hit off Edward and then Emmett really started pitching. I didn't even realize the pitch went by until Jasper was at my side. I knew these guys could throw fast but geez, I didn't know it'd be that fast.

Jasper had this contemplative look on his face, "Are you alright, Bella? You look a little, um, scared."

"I'm fine. I just, I didn't think it would be that fast."

"Most likely, it'll be the same speed with Edward, maybe a little faster, like I said, he'll rely on his speed."

"Okay. So I've just got to have quick hands. Quick hands equal quick bat, right?"

"Yeah, pretty much. But be sure to extend your arms and don't lock them. Stay loose. You did really well with the first pitches, just keep that same mentality with a quicker bat and you'll be good. You can do this." He gave me an encouraging smile that made me relax almost instantly.

I nodded and looked at Em, "Okay, I'm ready."

He nodded and Jasper moved off to the side and I got in my stance. I prepared myself for the next one and, when I saw it coming, started to go into the motion. And I tipped it. It went to the right of first base and I was a little disheartened but knew it was better than the previous pitch. Jasper clapped from behind me, "Good Job, Bells. Now just finish the swing and go all around your body, finish the motion."

I shut my eyes and took a deep breath, and we continued on for a while and eventually I got the hang of it. Rose and Alice were cheering me on the entire time so that gave me some motivation. Towards the end of the session I was only missing minimal amounts of balls and I kept a decent number of them fair. I had just hit one over Emmett's head when Jasper came over. "That was great! How are you feeling now?"

I took off my helmet and smiled, "I'm actually feeling really good about all this. It took me a while to get used to it but once I did, I think I did decent."

Emmett came over and joined us, "Decent? Bells, you did more than decent! You did spectacular!"

"Thanks! Are you guys ready to be done?"

"Only if you are. If you want to work more we can or if you want to end it on a good note, we can do that, too."

"I think we're done. I don't want to push my luck anymore and I'm tired." We started walking to the dugout and started packing up all our gear. I was greeted with cheers from Ali and Rose. Alice came over and hugged me, "Oh my gosh, Bella! You did fantastic! That was amazing to watch!"

I laughed, "Thanks. It wasn't too boring for you?"

"Are you kidding? I kept picturing Edward the entire time and his face was priceless!"

Rose was smiling too, "She's right, Bells. You were amazing to watch. He isn't going to know what hit him on Thursday."

I smiled what felt like was the biggest smile I had formed in a long time, "I hope so. I'm excited"

"And I'm hungry! All this practicing made me hungry. Let's grab some grub, Jazz," Em said.

"You guys should come back to the house and join us for dinner."

Emmett looked excited but Jasper spoke up first, "Thanks, but we don't want to intrude on your meal."

Alice grabbed both their arms and started dragging them towards the parking lot, "Are you crazy? The more the merrier! And Bella makes amazing food. We are not taking 'no' for an answer!" We started towards my car, "See you guys there!"

When we got back home, I put my gear away and started getting dinner ready. Both Jasper and Emmett offered to help me in the kitchen, but I shooed them away. Cooking was comforting for me, something I liked to do on my own. While I was cooking, they were all seated at the table talking animatedly about the latest movies and music. Eventually, Rose and Jasper started talking about their cars and Emmett and Alice were absorbed in a conversation all their own.

I looked on and couldn't help but smile. I was so happy for Ali and Rose. Emmett and Jasper were great guys and they were good matches for each other. Jasper was calm and laid back while Alice was a big ball of energy so they balanced each other out really well. Rose and Emmett, of course, had the physical connection down, but Rose was different with him. It wasn't like the typical situation where Rose got the guy, dated him, and then moved on. She was in it for the long haul and I knew that meant this thing with Emmett was something special to her.

Eventually, dinner was done, so I set it on the table and the conversation flowed naturally between all of us. It was like we had been friends for years rather than mere months. It was nice and relaxing. After everyone was done, Alice and Jasper offered to do the dishes and Emmett and Rose wanted to go for a walk. I took this as my cue to leave them be and went upstairs to shower and catch up on some homework for the week. In the middle of a problem, I heard my name being called from downstairs. I was pretty sure the entire neighborhood could hear Emmett. They were getting ready to leave, so I gave them each a hug and thanked them for all their help today. Rose and Alice walked them out and I let Mo go outside one last time, then continued with my homework until I went to sleep.

The next few days passed by fairly quickly and ,before I knew it, D-Day was here. I woke up early that Thursday with a good feeling. I just hoped it would carry on throughout the day. We had the hit off in a couple of hours and I didn't want to be waiting around forever, so I took my time getting ready for the day. I dressed in black shorts and threw on my gray CSUF shirt. I took Mo out and started getting breakfast ready. Alice and Rose joined me in the kitchen shortly after I began cooking, already dressed and ready to go as well. "Morning, guys."

Rose went to the fridge for some juice while Alice took a seat at the bar, "Morning, Bells. How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling good, really good. You?"

"I'm excited! You're going to win! I can feel it!"

"Thanks, Al." I didn't want to get too ahead of myself, so I just agreed with her and carried on. Breakfast was ready, so I served them and then myself. We talked about nonsense while we ate and before we knew it, it was time to leave for the hit off.

They helped me grab all my gear and, before I knew it, we were off. When we got to the park, we saw that Edward wasn't there yet, for which I was kind of grateful. I was starting to get nervous and seeing him first definitely wouldn't help. We walked to the field and, after setting my stuff down, I started getting ready and they kept my mind off him by talking. I heard the roar of a motorcycle and felt a knot start to form in the pit of my stomach. I looked up only to watch a bike go by on the main road and relief set in with an audible sigh. We heard a couple engines roll into the parking lot and I saw Jasper's prized Mustang, along with Emmett's Jeep. Emmett hopped down with a huge grin on his face and threw his arms up in the air, "Woo! Today's the day history shall be made!"

Jasper continued towards us and left Emmett behind in the parking lot. "Hey, Jazz! Wait up dude!" He caught up and they greeted us at the dugout. Emmett came over and engulfed me in a big bear hug. "Today's your day Bella!"

"….Can't….breathe…" I choked out.

"Oh," he set me back down on the ground gently, "sorry about that."

I laughed it off. Over the months, Emmett had become that protective older brother for me, so it was easy to forgive him. Jasper gave me a nice, strong hug after almost being crushed by Emmett. We stood around and talked for a little bit and Emmett threw the ball around with me until it was five minutes to nine. Then we saw him walking towards the field.

Emmett and I stopped throwing the ball and we walked back towards where the others were. He came up to the dugout with that cocky smile on his face, "Hey, guys," then turned to me, "Bella."

"Edward," I greeted coldly.

"So have you thought of what we're playing for yet? Or are we just going to say 'good game' and that's that?"

I walked towards him, so I was practically right up against him, "No, because when I win, I want something good."

He looked down at me with that stupid smirk, "Good, I couldn't agree more."

I turned around to get out of his face, "Okay, if I win," he smiled and nodded, "you have to leave me alone. For good. No phone calls, no texts, no emails, nothing."

"Got it. And if I win—" I held my hand up. "I'm not finished Cullen."

He held his arms out, "Then by all means, please continue."

"That also means you cannot ask Emmett or Jasper anything about me. And you cannot contact Rose or Alice and ask about anything having to do with me either. I want it to be as if we never met at all. Got it?"

"Are you finished, Princess?"

That little mark infuriated me to no end, but I held my tongue, "Yes."

"Thank God. Okay, if I win, you have to go out with me." I just stared at him, clearly shocked. I felt Emmett tense up beside me.

"Um, excuse me?"

"You heard me. If I win, you have to go out with me. On a date. By yourself."

My throat felt dry. "Like a date, date?"

"Like a date, date. Meaning you have to get all gussied up or what have you and come with me for a night on the town. Just the two of us."

I looked around and saw everyone just staring at me. I really, really, really did not want to go out with him, but I couldn't back out of this, not now. I had worked too hard and too long to weasel out now. I extended my hand towards him, "You've got yourself a deal."

He took my hand and shook. We were ready to begin. Once he and I were ready to go, Jasper pulled out a coin to determine who was going to go first, "Bella, you call it." I nodded and he started to flip the coin. "Tails." We all watched it go up in the air and fly back down into Jasper's awaiting hand, where he flipped it onto the top of his other hand. He looked at the coin, then us, "Heads."

I walked towards the mound and messed with the dirt right in front of the mound to cover up the hole in the ground. While I was waiting for his majesty, I started pitching the ball into my glove. Finally, he was ready. Before I went into my first pitch he called out to me, "Oh, Bella?"

"What?"

"Try not cry when I beat you, there's no crying in baseball." That remark did me in. I was going to beat Edward Cullen if it was the last thing I ever did in my entire life.

My best pitches were my change up and rise ball, but I didn't want to use those right away, so I decided to throw an inside fastball. He missed. I heard cheering from the dugout and saw out of the corner of my eye that Alice was jumping up and down already. But that was just the first pitch. There were still at least nineteen more that had to be thrown. I decided to try a drop ball, and hopefully that would help psych him out enough so he wouldn't regain his composure. I was wrong. "Whoa! Look at that one go. It was a nice try, Bella."

He popped that ball up into center field and it felt like a little part of me died inside. "Don't worry Bella! That was a fluke!" I was surprised to hear Rose yell that, and not Alice.

I got back into my position on the mound and twirled the ball in my hands until I was ready to throw a pitch. I decided to go with an inside fastball again. He still missed that one. And I couldn't help but smile, "Whoa. Look at that one go. It was a nice try, Edward."That got him going and I loved every second of it.

I continued to throw pitch after pitch and when I had thrown fifteen good pitches, he had hit twelve of them. It was a little disheartening to know that, so far, I'd have to hit at least thirteen to win. But I still had five more chances to make him miss. I continued pitching as Emmett, Jasper, Rose, and Alice cheered me on from the sides. I had thrown four more and he didn't hit them fair so his number was still at twelve. I had one more pitch to ensure he wouldn't hit another. I had done a good job and thrown every pitch I knew, except the slider. I was still really hesitant to use it because I haven't hit my target since I practiced it with Jake weeks ago. But it was my last shot and I wanted it to be a surprise. _What the hell? Just go for it._ I got my grip on the ball and pitched it, wishing that it'd be in the strike zone and he'd swing and miss. As much as I wanted to turn around after I pitched the ball, I knew I couldn't, so I watched as he went to swing the bat as the ball sailed towards the middle of the plate. If it didn't break left, it was a meatball and he would surely hit that out of the park. I watched as his bat came around the plate and connected with nothing but air. The ball had gone to the left at the batter's knees, just like I had wanted. I jumped up and down screaming and pointing, "Yes! I did it! That was the slider! Yes!"

Ali and Rose ran out and we all jumped around hugging one another until we heard Emmett speak, "Wow, not going to lie, that was hot to watch."

We disconnected from our circle and walked towards Emmett and Jasper as Rose walked over to Em and smacked him on his arm, "Oh, shut up."

He put his arm around her shoulders, "It's a compliment Rosie, just go with it."

Jasper was next to congratulate me, "Excellent job Bella that was amazing."

I hugged him as hard as I could, "Thank you, Jasper." And then I was off the ground.

"Good job, Bells! I knew my awesome cheering would help you win. I tend to have that effect on people."

I was laughing so hard, "Em, can I be put down now, please?"

"Sure can!"

By this time, Edward had walked over to us, "Not bad Bella. But don't get your hopes up just yet. You have to hit thirteen fair balls."

"That won't be a problem for me; I don't have an ego in the way."

He raised his eyebrows and said, "Whenever you're ready."

I took some long swigs of water and sat down just to relish in the moment. I had pitched the slider and it was perfect. I wish Nicole could've been here to see it, or Jake. Although, I knew it was better not to have Jake here now, there was too much going on between him and Edward. I got up and grabbed my batting gloves and helmet. Emmett hit my helmet as I walked out, "No pressure, you've got this in the bag, Kid."

I smiled, "Thanks, Em."

I marched out to home plate as Edward took the mound. He was getting set to pitch until Emmett cut in, "Hey, Edward!"

He sighed, dropped his head but looked up anyway, "What Emmett?"

"You might want to throw a fielder up in those mountains, in case," he made a swinging motion with his hands, "KABANG!" Every one of us laughed, except party pooper Edward Cullen, who decided to mumble a string of profanities instead.

I was mentally prepared for the speed Edward would lay on his pitches, which is why I was surprised when the first ball came in slow. I hit it because it was in the strike zone but I was caught off guard, and mad, "What the hell was that, Cullen?"

"I thought I'd give you a free one, you know, that way you can say you hit at least one off me."

"Pitch it like the man we all know you aren't!" I screamed.

He bowed, "Your wish is my command, Princess." The next pitch was fast, just as fast as Emmett's was the other day and I only tipped that one.

Jasper was normally the quiet one but I heard him the loudest this time, "It's okay Bella, just like we practiced, remember."

I nodded and took a deep breath before I stepped back in the batter's box. _You can do this Bells, pretend it's Emily pitching to you. _Emily always pitched to me in batting lessons, but never like this. I was prepared for it, I knew I was. I didn't feel my bat hit anything except my back when I finished my swing. And they were silent in the dugout. I looked towards the mound and saw Edward with that stupid little smirk on his face, "Good thing I gave you that one pitch, huh?"

"Fuck you. Keep pitching." I still needed to hit at least twelve more pitches to win and there were only going to be seventeen more pitches. I had to get my head in the game and focus.

The pitches continued to be thrown my way and eventually I found my groove. It was the fifteenth pitch and I had only hit ten. I needed to hit three out of the next five in order to win and I was praying that I could do it! I missed the next one, _four more chances…_ Then he threw the next couple and I hit those two. I just needed to hit one more and then I would do it and I can be done with him for the rest of my life. The next pitch was thrown and all I heard was the ball whizz past me and hit the backstop. At this point, they were quiet in the dugout and the only sound I heard was my breathing and Edward throwing the ball in his glove. This was it, the last pitch. If I didn't hit this, he stayed in my life and I had to go out with him. If I did hit it, he was gone forever. And I wanted nothing more than that. I stepped out of the box and gathered my thoughts. _Come on, you can do this. They told you he would rely on his speed and he has. You know what's coming; just make it a good one._ I put my front foot in the box, adjusted my sleeves and my gloves then put my back foot in the box. I was ready.

It all happened so fast. I saw his wind up and I saw the ball sailing towards me and then I felt an immense amount of pain in my rib cage. I dropped to the ground grabbing my ribs and shut my eyes. I bit my bottom lip to distract myself from the pain I was feeling and willing myself not to cry. "Oh my God. Shit. Ow."

I heard what seemed like a stampede of people coming towards me but I didn't want to open my eyes. I felt my helmet being taken off and then Alice's small hands moving the stray hairs out of my face. "Bella, are you alright?"

"I, I'm, I can't….it hurts Al." And at this point, I couldn't stop the tears from coming and everyone else seemed so blurry.

I heard Rose speak up next, "How fast do you think it was thrown?"

Jasper leaned down next to me, "Jesus, probably at least sixty miles an hour, maybe more. We practice to throw hard and accurate."

"Al, should I call Carlisle? Maybe she should go to the hospital for x-rays or something."

I saw Alice nod and turn towards Rose, "Yeah, call him, just in case."

She turned back to me and started smoothing my hair again, "It'll be alright Bella. I swear."

In the background I could hear Rose already on the phone with Carlisle. Crying was making my ribs hurt so bad, it was beginning to become unbearable. "It hurts," I said to no one in particular, "so bad."

Jasper's voice was right above me, "Hey Bella, you did amazing out there."

I mumbled my thanks to him and heard Rose speak to us again. "He said she doesn't need to go, it's most likely just going to be a big bruise. But if the pain persists, she should go for x-rays. Em, can you pick her up and carry her to the car, please?"

"Yeah, sure." I felt Emmett's hands go underneath my back and legs but I pushed him away. "No, I'm not going home, not yet."

Alice spoke softly, "Bells, you're hurt there's no point in continuing. It was almost over anyway."

"That's the point, it's almost over. I have to finish this."

"I don't know-"

"It's twenty fair pitches. I still get one more pitch thrown and I only have to hit it fair to win." The tears had stopped and I could see them all clearly now. And they all looked at one another, skeptical. I decided to sit up and it hurt like nothing else but I had to prove I was okay. "I'm going to do it whether you like it or not. I can do it and I feel good about this."

Emmett was smiling at me and then looked at the others, "I'm with her on this one, if she says she can do it, I believe she can."

I smiled back at him, "Thanks, Em."

"No prob, Bells." He helped, well practically lifted me, off the ground so I was standing upright and that's when I saw Edward. He was standing by himself just behind everyone else, just enough to see if I was okay, yet far enough away so he didn't seem too interested.

I glared at him and grabbed my helmet and bat, "Get back on the mound Cullen."

There was something in his eye when he began to speak, like he was genuinely upset I was hurt, I wasn't going to fall for that. "Bella, I'm-"

"Save it. Just get back there and pitch."

"Fine," he stalked back to the mound and everyone else went back to their respective spots in the dugout. I walked off to the side to take a few practice swings and that was killer. But every time I swung the bat, the pain lessened. I figured I was as good as I'd ever be and stepped back into the box. This was it, my last shot. _You can do it, have a quick bat, stay loose, and finish the motion. _It was a replay of what had just happened a few minutes ago, the windup, the ball coming towards me, everything. Except this time, the ball didn't hit me, it hit my bat. I watched Edward turn around to follow the ball with his eye, along with everyone else. It landed in the grass of center field and I couldn't stop the huge grin that spread across my face.

I heard everyone cheering for me and then they were all in front of me patting me on my back for fear of hurting me anymore. "Bella! That was amazing! A come from behind win! It was perfect!" Alice said.

"Thanks, Al." Everyone else congratulated me and then I made my way over to Edward, who was still standing on the mound, looking out towards center. He turned towards me when I stopped right behind him. "So, Edward, we had a deal."

He put on a poker face and crossed his arms, "Yes, Bella, we did."

"Then this is goodbye for us." I held my hand out to him, "It was nice meeting you, Edward."

He grabbed my hand, brought it to his lips and kissed my knuckles, "You too, Bella."

I watched after him as he grabbed his gear and headed towards the parking lot to his car. Then I watched the Volvo pull away for the very last time.

**EPOV**

I thought nothing of the hit off in the week or so following my encounter with Bella at the store. But, I did think of Bella. And I still couldn't figure out why I was such an asshole to her. I liked her, genuinely liked her, yet every time I'm around her I don't change my ways, I'm still the womanizer. I want to change though. I want that normal relationship with her where I can see her often, bring her flowers, take her out and that entire romantic shit. I have to change and soon, otherwise, I'm going to lose out on my time with her and some other lucky bastard is going to swoop in and take her away from me.

I tried not to think of Bella too much when we had practices and games because then I couldn't focus on the plays at hand. And I refused to have a repeat of Arizona, I was better than that; I just had to prove it to the coaches. So far, so good, I was getting pretty good at blocking Bella out of my mind when necessary. The rest of the time, she was there, invading pretty much every thought I had.

I kept to myself pretty much. Jasper was talking to me again, I think it was more to keep the peace between Emmett and me, but I accepted that. Emmett and I still had some tension between us but it was getting better as the days went on. Practice had just ended and we were heading towards the showers. "Hey, Edward, Em and I are going to grab a drink at Friday's if you want to join us."

I thought about it like I had something else that might conflict with it. _Who are you kidding? You have nothing going on anymore._ "Yeah, sure, I could use a drink."

We finished our showers and walked back to our lockers and Emmett was quiet up until now, "Forget the drinks! I just want some grub!"

Jasper and I rolled our eyes and I spoke up, "Of course you do."

"Damn straight! What I really want right now is some French toast casserole! That stuff is amazing!"

"French toast casserole? Who are you, fucking Marty Stewart or something?"

He looked at me with a sly smile, "No, I'm not Marty Stewart; I'm Bella's taste tester. And let me tell you man, that girl can cook!"

I stopped short of putting my shirt on, _Bella's taste tester? My Bella?_ I tried to make sure I covered up my fumble, "Um yeah, I'm sure she is."

I turned to grab my bag at the same time Emmett did and I saw the palm of his hand, it was a mix of dark colors: purple, black, blue, and a tinge of green. "Jesus Christ, Em! What the hell happened to your hand?"

He looked down, "Oh, that, nothing. Just playing catch."

"Were you playing catch with a Strongman or what? There seems to be some serious damage there." He laughed his hearty laugh.

"A Strongman? No. However, I did play catch with a five foot four inch, one hundred and fifteen pound girl."

I was confused, "What?"

"Jasper and I went out there the other day and I caught for Bella." He had his bag in hand and was starting to walk to the parking lot, Jasper following him. I ran to catch up with them, "You…caught? For Bella?"

He looked at me as if I was deaf, "Yes, Edward. That is what I said."

"Why did you catch for her?"

Jasper took his place as mediator and answered for him, "Bella just wanted some practice in before Thursday and we were already going over there and they asked for our help and we gave it to her."

"Wait, hold on, Bella did that to Em's hand?"

Jasper nodded his head, "Yeah, from the looks of it, she popped a few blood vessels but nothing that won't heal itself with time." And with that, they both hopped in their cars and started driving towards The Block. I got in my car and followed them in shock. Bella, who seemed like she was nice, broke all those blood vessels in Emmett's hand. Emmett, who was at least twice her size, was hurt by her. This means she's getting ready for Thursday and she's serious about it. Well, it didn't matter how serious she was, I would still beat her.

The next few days passed much like any others and before I knew it, I was waking up Thursday morning. This was it, today was the day everything was at stake. I had thought long and hard about what I wanted my prize to be when I won and I came up with the perfect solution. I got up and grabbed a bowl of cereal before heading out towards Yorba Linda.

I made it to the park with five minutes to spare and I spotted her as soon as I looked towards the field. She looked beautiful in simple black shorts, a gray Cal State Fullerton shirt and her long mahogany locks pulled back in a ponytail. I grabbed my gear and headed down there. I greeted all of them and then asked Bella if she had thought about what she was putting up for stakes. And at first, I thought nothing of it. I didn't even have a proper way of contacting her and then she told me the second part and I'll admit I was sad when I heard it. That's how I've been getting all my information about her, through Jazz and Em. If I wasn't allowed to ask them, and she won, then I would have lost all contact with her, for good. I was sad, but wasn't going to let it show so I said what I wanted if I won. And she was shocked but agreed to it nonetheless.

Once we were ready and flipped the coin, I was at the batter's box and I don't know what came over me, but like always, I pissed her off with a rude comment and then it was my turn to hit. I missed the first one but was able to come back from that and ended up hitting twelve out of the twenty, not bad if you ask me. And Bella wasn't as horrible a pitcher as I had expected, she was actually really good. Now I understood why Emmett's hand looked the way it did.

After taking a little bit of a rest, it was my turn to pitch to her. Again, I played the role of arrogant asshole and gave her a slow pitch right down the middle, and that made her even madder if that was even possible at that point. I threw pitch after pitch, some she hit, and some she didn't and then it was down to the last pitch. We were tied and I knew if she didn't hit this, I would win the hit off and I would get to take Bella out and treat her properly. I wanted to throw something that would kind of throw her off. I figured I had thrown plenty on the outside of the plate so why not go for an inside fastball. She got in her stance and I went through my motion and it was like slow motion for me. I saw the ball traveling towards the plate, except it didn't breeze past her, it hit her in the rib cage and before I even really understood what had happened, she was on the ground in pain. _Fuck._

We all rushed over to her to see if she was okay. The pixie had her helmet off and the sight before me was heartbreaking. Bella was curled in pain, holding her ribs, and there were tears streaming down her face. I wanted so badly to go over and kiss those tears away from her face and tell her that everything was going to be okay and that nothing would ever hurt her. Except, this time, I was the one who ended up hurting her, and bad. Blondie had gone off to call some guy, Carlton, or whatever to ask about taking Bella to the hospital. I didn't want her to go, I was so hoping she wouldn't have to go, luckily, she didn't.

I backed off a little after realizing she would be okay for now. I was fully prepared to get my stuff and leave so this could be over and we could just forget about it, only thing, Bella wouldn't give in. _Shit. _I couldn't pitch against her anymore; I was scared of hurting her again. I never wanted her in pain and I sure as hell didn't want to be the cause of that pain. They agreed that she would continue since we only had one pitch left and as soon as everyone was headed back towards the dugout I walked over to her to apologize but she didn't give me a chance. She just wanted this to be over so I went back to the mound.

I saw her wincing as she took a few practice swings and felt horrible but still didn't want her to win. I would throw the same exact pitch and just pray to God that it didn't hit her again. Once she was ready to go I did my motion and pitched it. The ball went towards the inside of the plate and I thought it was past her until I heard the sound of the bat hitting the ball. I watched the ball go over my head and land in the grass of centerfield. _Shit._ I lost. That was it. This would be the last time I ever saw Bella and I didn't like it. I heard everyone congratulating her and I didn't turn around until I heard footsteps stop right behind me and I was face-to-face with a goddess. "So, Edward, we had a deal."

I crossed my arms and made my face indifferent to her so she couldn't tell what I was feeling, "Yes, Bella, we did."

She held out her hand for me to shake and said it was nice meeting me; I was going to shake it until I had an idea. I grabbed her hand and kissed her knuckles much like the first time we met, "You too, Bella."

I walked from the mound to get my gear and, without looking back, went to the Volvo and drove away. I couldn't explain what I was feeling as I was driving away, but it felt like sadness and hurt mostly. My goddess was gone forever.

**A/N: Okay guys! That was by far the longest chapter we've ever written for either of our stories so hopefully you'll take that as an apology for the long delay in updates. The song used for this chapter was "Crash Course" by The Spill Canvas. So can you guys do us a favor and leave us some reviews, please? We take comments, questions, criticism, anything. It doesn't have to be long, just a line or two.**


	11. Can't Let Go

Ch. 10: Can't Let Go

**Disclaimer: We do not own the characters, the Angels, the ballpark, or anything for that matter.**

**A/N: Hello loves! Here is another chapter for you all, but first! Thank you all so much for the favorite stories/authors, story/author alerts and reviews! And an insanely huge thanks goes out to hgbkwrm for betaing this chapter so quickly and for sending it back a couple times. **

**BPOV**

As I was standing there watching Edward walking back to the Volvo, I couldn't help but feel something. And it wasn't all excitement. It was as if someone was pulling ever so gently on a string that was attached to my heart. And that string was pulling me towards the parking lot. However, that feeling was gone as soon as it came and I turned around to celebrate my victory with everyone else.

Alice's eyes were shining so much you would've thought she had won the hit off, "So Bells, what do you want to do now?"

I looked at the four of them and Jasper had a protective arm around Alice's shoulders and Emmett had his big hand resting on Rose's hip. "You know, I'm kind of tired so I think I just want to go home, shower, and rest."

Alice's expression turned from one of excitement to utter horror, "Seriously? You just put the biggest douche in his place and you want to go home?"

I just nodded at her and she still looked confused when she spoke, "No party? No celebratory brunch? Not even going to Disneyland?"

Jasper looked down at her and laughed, "If Bella doesn't want to go anywhere then we won't go anywhere. She won so she decides what's going to happen for the rest of the day."

I smiled at him silently thanking him for understanding. "My ribs still hurt so I don't want to do too much too soon." I noticed her face kind of falter along with Rose's. "But you guys can go out and celebrate for me if you want."

That sparkle was back in Ali's eye and I knew she was excited, but she feigned uncertainty, "We don't have to, I mean, you are the one who won."

I started to walk back to the dugout to pack my gear up as they followed me, "Just go, Al. You guys have a good time for me and maybe when the pain goes away we can all go out together."

She removed Jasper's arm from her shoulders and started to pull him towards his Mustang, "Okay! We'll see you guys later! Love you Bella!"

"Bye Al. Have fun."

Jasper looked back at me before he was out of my line of vision, "You did a really great job out there Bella. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks. I couldn't have done it without some pretty amazing coaches." I watched as he fell out of my line of vision, and then heard the roar of his engine heading towards the main road moments later. That left Rose, Emmett, and I. Rose had started packing some of my gear in my bag while Emmett was putting all the balls in the bucket.

After all my gear was put away we were heading towards our cars, Rose walking in between Em and I, when she started to turn to Emmett to say goodbye. I interjected before she had the chance to say anything, "Thanks for all your help, Em."

"Oh, no problem, it was fun. I can't wait to see Edward's reaction to all this in the coming days." I grabbed the bucket of balls from him and gave Rose a hug as I whispered in her ear, "Go and have some fun with him."

She whispered back, "Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

I pulled away from her and nodded. "I'll be fine. I promise."

She looked a little hesitant as she started to walk towards the jeep where Emmett was already standing by the passenger door. When she was right at the door she turned around, "If you start feeling more pain, call me and I'll come home right away."

I opened my trunk, put my gear in, shut it and started walking towards the driver's side. "I will." I watched Emmett open the door and wait for her to climb in. Once the door was shut I called out to him, "Hey, Em."

He turned towards me with an infectious smile on his face, "Yeah, Bella?"

"Take good care of her. Please?"

He nodded, "I will. Now rest up!"

I laughed and got in my car and waited for them to pull away before I backed out. The ride home was nice and quiet which suited me just fine. I pulled in the driveway and opened the garage door. I put the balls back in their respective place in the garage then walked in the house to be greeted by Mo. "Hey, Buddy! Did you miss me?"

He did the typical "Husky talk" as I bent down to pet him until I felt the pain in my ribs. "Ouch."

I let him out in the back to run around a little while I went upstairs to take a shower. As I started the water I decided to check if the bruise was already forming on my ribs. It was. It was a multitude of light shades of black, blue, and purple. I was going to be branded from this day for at least a few weeks.

I finished my shower and was in my room putting on some different clothes when I heard my phone start to ring and I picked up without even checking the caller ID. "Hello?"

"Bella! Long time, no talk! How've you been?"

I couldn't help but smile at his voice, "Hey, Jake. I know; I've been good, thanks. How 'bout you?"

"Eh, you know, can't complain. Anything new and exciting happening with you?"

"As a matter of fact, I just got home from a hit off with Edward."

There was silence on the end for a little bit, "What?"

I retold the story of running into Edward at the grocery store and the deal we made to have a hit off today. As well as the wagers we put up for when we won and Jake wasn't too happy when he heard what Edward had wanted if he won. I told him to rest assured because I won and I would never hear from that Casanova ever again. Saying it out loud made it more believable and I was really happy that it was happening. After explaining how I won, my bruise, Edward's reactions and all that, we talked for a little bit longer and agreed that we needed to meet up again sometime soon.

I went downstairs to let Mo back in and gave him some food and threw his ball around for a little bit until I heard my phone ring again. "Hello?"

I heard a calm voice on the other end, "Bella. It's Carlisle."

"Hi, Carlisle. How are you?"

"Well, thank you. I just wanted to call and see how you were feeling. I know you got hurt earlier today and I wanted to make sure the pain hadn't gotten any worse."

"Nope, still the same. But I have an insane bruise right now."

"Yes, that's what I thought would happen." We continued talking for a few minutes more, mostly him telling me just to watch out for myself, and then we hung up. It was nice to hear a familiar voice from home.

The next few weeks passed without anything major happening. I was at the top of my game, the season was starting to wind down, my bruise was getting better and my thoughts of Edward had diminished to practically nothing.

It was a couple weeks before school was going to be out and Rose, Ali, and I were sitting in the family room talking about what we wanted to do for the summer. The obvious answer was to go to an Angel's game. Rose and Alice had gotten even closer to Emmett and Jasper and eventually they became official so it was only natural that they go support their men. Talking about going to the games made me wonder what it would be like to see Edward. I hadn't heard anything from him since our last encounter but I couldn't help wondering if it would be weird seeing him after so long. I guess we'd have to wait and see.

The last week of school was here and we were all studying like crazy for our finals. Every day after we got home from school we stared at our books until it was time to eat dinner and then we were right back to studying. During this week, Alice and Rose hadn't gone out at all with Emmett and Jasper. Alice and I would be finished with school on Thursday and Rose would be done at ten on Friday morning. We were celebrating the start of our summer with a baseball game, the first of many.

The week passed fairly quickly and Friday afternoon was here and we were all getting ready to go to the game. "Beeeelllllllaaaaaa! Can you please hurry? We're going to be late!"

I rolled my eyes, made my way to the top of the stairs, and leaned on the banister, "Alice. Chill, we still have two hours till it actually starts and we don't live that far away."

"But there's batting practice! And I want to get a ball!"

"Jasper can get you a ball. You don't have to fight all those little kids for one."

She pouted, "But it's not the same! I want it to be dirty from being thrown around and then I want it to be signed by them!"

"Yeah, Jasper can still do that."

Rose came into my view from the kitchen, all dressed and ready to go, "I'm with Al on this one. I'd like to leave sooner rather than later. We have amazing seats now and I want to get the full experience from the batting practice to the fireworks at the end."

I thought about it for a second; we did have amazing seats at field level thanks to Emmett and Jasper. I gave in, "Okay, just let me throw on my shirt and we can go."

As I walked back to my room I heard Alice jumping up and down clapping her hands in excitement and the front door open and then close. I got dressed and made my way down to the driveway where they were both already seated, with their seatbelts on, in my car. "Geez, are you guys anxious or something?"

Rose smiled sweetly, "Now what would give you that idea?"

Alice was starting to fidget in her seat and grabbed my keys, put them in the ignition and started the car, "Who cares! Let's go!"

"Okay, okay. We're going." I pulled out of the driveway and made our way to the freeway. Traffic wasn't too bad, considering it was rush hour on a Friday. We made it to the stadium with plenty of time to spare and made our way to our seats. Alice, gracefully, ran down the steps to claim her spot at the wall and waited for batting practice to end. Rose and I took our seats and chatted about everything until we saw Alice come back towards us with a big smile on her face, proudly showing off a ball with a bunch of signatures on it, "Those little kids have nothing on me!"

I laughed, "Wow, Al. Taking some little kid's dream?"

She looked appalled, "No, Bella. I like to think of it as teaching them a life lesson; you can't always get what you want, which is true."

"Touche." The game was going to start soon and I didn't want to miss anything so I got up to use the restroom. On my way back I was looking at all the pictures of past players on the wall when I heard someone yelling and waving their arms my way, "Hey! Over here!"

At first I didn't realize they were talking to me so I just ignored them and continued walking until someone ran up beside me. I recognized his face immediately. "Oh my gosh, Jason? Right?"

He had an unforgettable smile that I couldn't help but return until his grin faded, "Yeah. But I'm sorry to say that I never caught your name when we last met."

I held out my hand for him to shake, "Bella."

He grabbed my hand and shook it, "Well, Bella, it is a pleasure to meet you."

"You too." We continued to talk for a little bit longer, which included him asking me out to dinner the following week, which I accepted, until he had to go back to work at the team store and I made my way back to our seats. I sat down and didn't realize I was smiling until Rose asked me why I was.

My amazing response to that was, "I don't know."

Alice leaned over Rose and pointed a finger at me, "Who is he?"

"Who's who?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Missy. You're smiling like that because you met a guy. I want to know who he is."

There was no point in trying to deny it because Alice would find out eventually, "Remember when we were going to meet the guys and that guy from the team store took us to the conference room?"

Her eyes lit up, "Yeah!"

"Well I just ran into him and we got to talking and well…"

She practically jumped out of her seat when she made the realization, "So when are you going out with him?"

"Next week, most likely Wednesday."

She giggled, "Yay! Oh this is going to be so much fun! Rose and I can help you get ready and I already know what you're going to wear and–"

"Alice, I can dress myself, thank you very much."

"Well, I know but it doesn't hurt to have help." The announcer's voice asked us to stand and remove all hats for the National Anthem. We clapped for the lady who sang and sat back down ignoring the other team's lineup, continuing our conversation. "I know but I can handle it, Al. Trust me."

She crossed her arms, "Oh fine. But if I don't like what you're wearing I get to change it."

I thought about it and realized that our deal we had made a long time ago about my reprieve from Bella Barbie was up. "Fine."

She nodded and smiled, "Good."

We heard the start of our lineup being announced and cheered along with all the other patrons for our favorite players, screaming just a little extra for Jasper and Emmett, watching their pictures as they flashed across the screen. Jasper had a slight smirk going on and Alice, repeatedly, pointed out his lips, while Emmett's picture showed his huge grin that could make anyone else smile. I looked over at Rose and she looked so proud of Emmett. Once the lineup was over and all the guys were on the field, I noticed that something was off, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it, then it occurred to me. Edward wasn't starting.

**EPOV**

As soon as I got home from the hit off I went straight to my room and just lay on the bed. On the drive home I identified the emotions I was feeling. I _was_ hurt, immensely, but I was also angry with myself. I couldn't even give Bella an ounce of respect. I wanted to get close to her and I couldn't and I didn't know what was wrong with me. I knew I had walls up and my automatic defense was to be an asshole.

And on top of all that, I hurt Bella, physically hurt her. I vowed to never hurt her and now she'd have a mark on her showing that I broke that vow, unbeknownst to her. I spent the rest of the day in bed just staring at the wall. It started to get dark and I thought I should get up and eat something but I didn't have the desire to. I heard my phone go off a couple times but decided to just let it go straight to voicemail. I didn't want to talk to anyone. _Except Bella, _I thought_._ We all knew that wasn't going to happen though.

The next few weeks seemed to drag on. I didn't do anything except go to practice and games. I stopped going out every night and just stayed holed up in my house. A few times I was tempted to look up one of the girl's numbers just to see how Bella was doing but I couldn't. I thought about asking either Emmett or Jasper about her but they were loyal to the model and the pixie so I knew that wasn't going to happen.

It was Tuesday morning and we were at the field practicing for the series that would start Thursday. I hadn't been myself for weeks and everyone was noticing it. James took the opportunity to bash on me and I just took it. I was only concerned with one person and he wasn't her. I hadn't realized we'd started the drill until I heard Coach Griffin yelling my name repeatedly. "Cullen! Cullen! Hello! Earth to Edward Cullen!"

I looked at him and saw how upset he was then around the field and realized everyone was staring at me. "Sorry, Coach. I spaced out for a second."

He smiled at me, "Oh that's okay. I'm just going to space out right now too."

I didn't know how to respond to that and he didn't let me. "I'm spacing out your position. Hit the showers and go home."

I didn't move for a little bit but then got in the ready position, "No, I'm okay, just tired. Let's keep going."

"I don't think you heard me, Edward. You're done for the day. Hit the showers. And leave." I stood up and walked meekly towards the dugout. Before I made it to the locker room I was stopped by Scioscia. _Shit._ I knew I was in trouble then.

"Yeah, Coach?"

"Cullen. You're a good ball player, you know that."

"Um, thank you, Sir."

"But lately, I don't know what's going on with you. You come to practice but you're not really here. You don't put any effort into your plays. You don't hang out with Whitlock or McCarty anymore."

I couldn't look at him, I knew I wasn't myself but I couldn't help it. I felt powerless against my emotions. This person wasn't me. I felt him staring at me, "I hate to do this to any guy on the team, especially if it's unnecessary, but I'm pulling you from the lineup."

I couldn't really think of anything to say, "What?"

"I can't have this ghost of you out on the field. We have a lot of series coming up against some really good teams and it's not fair to your teammates if you're out there but aren't giving it your all."

I just looked down at my cleats. "I know, but–"

"But nothing, Cullen. You earned yourself a spot on this team and now you need to earn back your position. Scott will start for you until you can prove you deserve to be out there."

There was nothing more to say. I knew I had let my team down but I didn't think I'd be taken out of the lineup. I didn't know how long I would be in this funk. He patted me on the back, "Hit the showers, go home and get some rest."

I continued on to the locker room and hopped in the shower quickly then grabbed my gear. I went to my car and drove home in a daze. I decided to skip practice on Wednesday since I wasn't going to be part of the series anyway and just stayed home. While I was contemplating what to eat for dinner I heard my doorbell ring. I wasn't expecting anyone so I figured it was probably just a neighbor or someone. I opened my door and was surprised to see who was there. Jasper and Emmett were standing on my doorstep, "Hey, man."

For some reason, I immediately got defensive. "Jasper. Emmett."

Jasper was twirling his keys around his finger, "Can we come in?"

I stepped aside and let them in, then locked the door. "What are you guys doing here?"

Emmett looked at me like I was dense, "Well we saw what happened at practice yesterday. And you didn't show up today and Scioscia said you were taken out of the lineup until further notice. We wanted to see what was up."

I crossed my arms, "What's it to you?"

I could tell Emmett was starting to get angry because his hands started to form fists. Jasper decided to speak up instead, "So we just wanted to see if everything was okay. I mean, ever since the hit off, you've been acting like this."

"I'm doing just fine. In fact, I'd be doing great if you two did me a favor and got the hell out of my house."

Emmett brushed past me and opened the door, "With pleasure."

Jasper was still standing in front of me, "Edward, come on. Just because you lost to Bella doesn't mean anything. It was a silly competition between you guys that meant nothing."

_Wrong. It meant everything to me._ I hadn't heard her name in weeks and it sounded so wrong coming from his mouth. "She and I had a deal. I wasn't going to associate with anyone or anything pertaining to her."

"I know but Emmett and I—"

"You and Emmett are dating her two best friends. That puts you under the category of 'anything pertaining to her.'"

"So you're going to shut Em and I, you're two best friends, out because we're dating friends of hers."

I was starting to get really upset, mostly because he was figuring everything out and I didn't want to talk about it, "Yes, I am. This is me distancing myself from her."

He looked at me, "Unbelievable. You are insane to think that if you push Emmett and I away you're going to stop thinking of her."

"Well it's worth a shot."

He shook his head, "Fine, Edward. I'm done trying to be the voice of reason. When you're ready to make some sense, then come talk to me." And with those words he stormed out of my house, slamming the door.

_What are you doing Edward? Emmett and Jasper are your best friends. Why are you shutting them out? They haven't done anything._ I wasn't being rational and I knew that, this made sense to me before but now that I heard it coming from someone else's mouth, it made no sense whatsoever.

I was pushing them away because I was jealous. They got to see Bella, they got to talk to her, get to know her, everything I wanted to do. I was never one to get jealous, I was always the guy people were jealous of but now the tables have turned.

I was fucking Edward Cullen. _No_, I thought. I _am_ fucking Edward Cullen. I get what I want and I don't settle. I was going to get to her. I didn't care what I had to do, I was going to get to Bella and I was going to take her out. I would prove to her that I wasn't just some jerk. Then she would love me. How could she not? After all, I am Edward fucking Cullen.

**A/N: So there it is for you! The song used for this chapter was "Can't Let Go" by Landon Pigg. We know this chapter is short but, as we're sure you guys can tell, it is more of a transitional chapter. Please do us a huge favor and leave us some reviews! We don't ask for much but we love to hear what you guys think!**


	12. Fallin' For You

Chapter 11: Fallin' For You

**A/N: Hello Lovelies! It's been a while, we know, but things have been crazy here as of late and with school starting, it's just insane. We'd like to thank all of you for all the favorite story/authors, story/author alerts, and, of course, the reviews! And an amazingly huge thank you to hgbkwrm for being there to help get this chapter out and for betaing this. Words cannot describe how amazing she is! Enjoy!**

**BPOV**

I was a little thrown off when I realized Edward wasn't playing and if I'm being honest, a little sad. I decided to shake that sadness away though, he was gone and out of my life for good. That was the deal we had made. It was what I wanted. We watched the game like we always did and always cheered a little extra for Emmett and Jasper until the game was over and they lit up the halo around the "A" in the parking lot. After the game was over and the field was cleared they started lighting the fireworks. They were amazing to see, especially since we were sitting on the field level.

Everyone had started making their way to their cars but we hung back a little by the front gates to wait for Emmett and Jasper. As we were waiting I saw Jason walking over to us so I met him halfway. "Hey, Bella!"

"Hey, Jason. What's up?"

"I just got my work schedule for next week and I have Wednesday off so I was, uh, thinking we could go grab dinner and, I don't know, maybe see where things go from there." He seemed so nervous and I found it cute but I couldn't help but giggle a little. That infectious smile of his was back and I had to return it full throttle.

"Yeah, Wednesday sounds perfect."

"Great!" I gave him my number and address and he said he'd be there at seven to pick me up. I walked back to Rose and Alice just as they had finished up their conversations with Emmett and Jasper. Emmett saw me first, "Hey Bella!"

"Hey, Em. What's up?"

"Not much, except I just got done winning a game!"

Jasper patted Emmett's head and looked at me. "He thinks we won because of him. He doesn't realize there's a team behind him."

"Hey! I do too know that! I just think I contributed. A lot."

Jasper raised his eyebrows and had a smirk on his face, "Sure you did. Well we're gonna go ahead and go home now but we'll see you later Bella."

"Yeah, definitely." I watched as Emmett wrapped his arms around Rosalie's waist lifting her up and kissing her passionately and then I looked to my right and saw Jasper doing practically the same thing to Alice. Their moments looked too intimate for a third party to be watching so I started looking elsewhere. While they were having their moments I couldn't help but wonder when I would get to have my own moments like those. Maybe Jason and I could create those moments together. I couldn't help but smile when I thought of him. "Bella. Are you ready to go?"

I turned around and saw Alice and Rose waiting for me. "Yeah, let's go home." We got in the car and started our way towards home and then the questions began. "So what was up with that guy and you?"

I tried to feign innocence, "What guy?"

Rose playfully slapped my arm from the backseat, "Oh come on Bella! We saw you walk off with…." She looked to Alice and there was a silent conversation going on between them. "That was him! That's Jason! I remember him!"

I laughed and could feel the goofy grin creep its way onto my face. "Yes, that was Jason."

Alice started clapping her hands and jumping up and down in her seat, "So Wednesday for sure?"

I nodded and said, "He's picking me up at seven and we're going to dinner and just seeing how the night goes from there."

Rose gave me a knowing look and a wink through the rearview mirror, "Well don't let the night go too far from there."

Alice and I gasped at the same time. "Rose! I would never do that! You know me better than that."

"Never say never Bella. Things can change at the drop of a hat."

Alice gave me a sympathetic look, "She's right you know."

"I know but I wouldn't do something like that."

"We know, we're just saying. So! What are you wearing? How are you going to do your hair and makeup?"

That caught me off guard because I was still stuck on the fact that I was going out with Jason, finally. I felt lighter when I was around him and couldn't help but smile when he did. The rest of the drive was filled with questions from both of them regarding what he looked like, what I thought about him, why I liked him, everything. We got home and each went to our respective rooms because we were exhausted. I took Mo out one last time then got ready for bed. As I lay in bed I couldn't help but feel happy about my date and I couldn't wait till Wednesday. It was the first time in a while that I had gone to sleep with a smile on my face.

The next few days went by quickly and before I knew it, it was Wednesday afternoon and I was standing in front of my closet looking for something to wear. "Oh my gosh. I have no clue what to wear."

"And this is why you have me." I turned around and saw Alice leaning up against the doorframe of my room.

"How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to know that you have no clue what you're doing. And long enough to put together at least three outfits in my head for you."

I smiled thanking her for her fashion expertise. She ended up putting me in an outfit that consisted of dark wash skinny jeans, a gray v-neck baby doll top and some gray sandals. Once I was dressed I showed Alice so she could give her stamp of approval on the entire outfit. "Perfect!"

"Really?"

"Duh Bella! I put this look together of course it's perfect."

As soon as she said that the doorbell rang and I started making my way downstairs to answer the door. Rose was on her way to get the door but I jumped in front of her. "Okay, I guess I won't be answering the door tonight."

I laughed at my own eagerness, "No that's okay, I've got it. But thanks Rose."

She gave me a quick hug and let me go to the door, "Remember Bella, not too far tonight."

I laughed and promised I wouldn't. I finally got the door and saw Jason, looking amazing in jeans and a black button down shirt. "Hey Bella."

"Hey Jason. Ready to go?"

"Yeah, definitely."

We walked down to his car where he opened the door for me and shut it ever so gently. He walked to the driver side of his car and got in. The car ride was fun and full of conversation and laughter. Eventually, we made our way into the middle of Orange County and ended up in the Old Town District in the city of Orange. I had never actually been here. Rose, Alice, and I had always talked about coming here because it looked like a small town in the middle of nowhere. In reality, it was smack in the middle of a busy city but it was full of antique shops, historic buildings, and a lot of different restaurants. I looked out the window as Jason parked the car and couldn't help but just stare in awe. Right in the middle was The Downtown Circle that had trees and benches where you could sit down and just people watch. Jason must have noticed my staring because he seemed a little nervous when he spoke, "I, uh, hope you don't mind coming here but I figured they have a little bit of everything and it'll, um-"

I turned to him and smiled, "This is perfect. I've never been here but I've always wanted to come." He returned my smile and got out of the car to open my door for me. "Thanks."

"No problem, Bella."

We started off by grabbing a bite to eat at a seafood restaurant and the meal was delicious and talking to Jason was easy and there was never an awkward silence between us. He was constantly asking me if I was doing okay and if I needed anything else. It was nice to have someone care so much about me and how I was doing. When the check came I reached into my bag and started to pull out my wallet to pay.

Jason reached out to stop my hands from pulling out my money and I felt a small spark when his hand touched mine. "Whoa. What do you think you're doing?"

I was a little perplexed about his question, "Um, I'm going to pay for-"

"Actually, you're not. This is on me."

I put my wallet back in my bag and thanked him. After the meal was paid for we just sat and talked for a little while until Jason stood up and extended his hand to me. "Come on. Let's go walk around for a bit."

I gladly put my hand in his and we walked out onto the street, hand in hand. We spent a while going in and out of the antique shops looking at some interesting things along the way. He asked me about my life, what I was studying in school and why, why did I choose to move here from Washington, and just getting to know me.

It was nice to have someone ask me questions and actually listen to what I was saying, not just pretending to care and then turn the focus of the conversation to them. It was starting to get late but I realized that I didn't want to go home yet. I wanted to stay out with Jason until I was completely ready to go. A little after nine he took me to Café Lucca to go get some gelato and it tasted so good. But I was dreading my gelato being gone because I knew that would be the end of the date. In the meantime, I figured I may as well enjoy what little time we had left together. When we got up to leave I didn't hesitate to put my hand in Jason's and he smiled in response to my eagerness. When we got to the car he opened my door for me again and before I knew it, we were on our way home.

I noticed he went the opposite way of Yorba Linda and that confused me completely. "Um, Jason, you're going the wrong way."

"Nope, I'm going the right way."

I looked at him confused and started pointing towards Yorba Linda, "But my house is that way."

He laughed an amazing laugh, "Chill Bella. I know where you live, I know we're not going that way but that's because our date isn't over."

I was still really confused. "It's not?"

He grabbed my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, "No. Not yet anyway. Eventually I'm going to have to take you back, but not quite yet. That is if you don't mind."

I was completely taken aback that he had put so much thought and effort into our date. I shook my head and squeezed his hand back, gladly sitting back in the seat. Suddenly, I realized we were heading towards the stadium. "Is there a game tonight?"

"I'm not sure. If there is, we missed it but that's not the reason we're going this way anyway."

"Then if that's not the reason, what is?"

That infectious smile was there again so I agreed to just sit and wait to see what he had planned.

He turned into a parking lot that was completely empty and this had me scared. "Why here?"

He looked at me with a sly look on his face, "Because this is where the magic's going to happen."

I was still freaked out by this so I prayed that nothing bad would happen when he came to my side of the car. I got out and looked around trying to gauge my surroundings and quickly realized that nobody was around. The closest people were those driving by on the main road. He shut my door when I was out of the car and grabbed my hand. I reluctantly held onto him and then he started to lead me towards the trunk.

I was freaking out and just shut my eyes when he opened it, preparing myself for the worst. As quickly as the trunk was opened, it was shut. I opened my eyes to see Jason staring at me with a worried look on his face and a blanket in hand. "Bella? Are you okay?"

"What's the blanket for?"

"To lay on. I don't think you want to be laying right on the car so I brought a blanket for some padding."

Well now I felt ridiculous. He led me to the front of the car and laid the blanket down before helping me up. "So why are we laying on the front of your car?"

He put his arm around my shoulders and lightly rubbed my arm while I rested my head on his chest. "Just wait. You'll see."

"Okay. How long do I-" And then I heard it. I heard the loud boom first then I saw all the colors light up the sky.

"Fireworks?"

"Not just any old fireworks. Disneyland fireworks."

"A fireworks display from the happiest place on earth." I smiled.

"To some people it's the happiest place on earth."

I looked at him, "It's Disneyland. You can't not be content there."

"Wrong. You can be content anywhere but it doesn't necessarily mean you're happy."

"Okay smarty pants. If that place isn't your happiest place on earth then where is it?"

He turned to me, smiled, and moved his head closer to mine, "My happiest place on earth is right here with you in this parking lot." And then the kiss happened. We continued watching the fireworks sneaking kisses every now and then. And before I knew it, it was over. We lay there for a few more minutes before he sat us up. "I hate to end this but I think I should get you home now before your friends worry and call the cops or something."

I sighed and agreed. Rose and Alice would freak out and do something extreme like that. I hopped off the hood of his car, with his help of course, and got back in the car. The entire ride home was silent but in a good way. It was a comfortable silence and the only noise that happened was the little giggle I would make when I caught him sneaking glances my way at the exact moment I tried to sneak glances at him.

All too soon we were outside my house and I hesitated getting out of the car and he didn't make much of an effort to come open my door for me. He grabbed my hand and squeezed it, "You know, in a perfect world, I wouldn't be dropping you off right now. I'd have you with me for the rest of the night. At the very least."

I looked out the window to my house where I knew my two best friends were, waiting to hear all about the date, but I couldn't bring myself to go inside. "Honestly, I wish this were a perfect world because I don't want to be sitting here knowing that I have to go inside in a few moments."

He got a wicked grin on his face, "You know, we could just go back to my place for the night. That way we can still be with each other and the world would be perfect for a few hours."

I seriously considered this option, it was just a matter of going inside to get a few things and then I could spend the night with Jason. But I didn't want to ruin a perfect night. And I was afraid of what might happen if I did take him up on the offer. "Thank you and as amazing as that sounds, I think I'll hold off on sleeping at your place."

"No worries. I figured it was worth a shot and it never hurts to put it out there."

I laughed and agreed and then he came around to open my door, for the last time of the night, and walked me to the door. Neither of us wanted the night to end because we didn't say goodbye right away. We were trying to prolong this moment for as long as possible. I figured if I didn't say something soon we would be standing on the porch until morning. "I had a really, really great time tonight. So thank you, so much, for everything. It was wonderful."

"It was my pleasure. I was actually wondering if you'd like to go out again sometime?"

I nodded enthusiastically, "Most definitely."

He smiled that wonderful smile of his and I tried to remember every detail of his face when he smiled because it was adorable. He reached his hand up to the nape of my neck and ran his fingers through my hair, ever so gently, with his other hand and kissed me. It seemed like that kiss lasted for years but it was so perfect that I didn't mind at all and I wished it would never end but then he pulled away and placed a chaste kiss on my lips before pulling away for good. "Goodnight, Bella. I really enjoyed your company tonight."

"Thank you, again."

He released his hold on my neck and trailed his right hand down to my left and gave it a squeeze that seemed to convey everything he was feeling in that moment. "Bye, Jason."

"Sweet dreams Bella." I watched as he made his way to his car and gave him one last wave before he pulled out of the track for good. I stood on the porch to gather my thoughts before I unlocked the door and walked in.

"Well it's about time you're home! I have been waiting up for you all night young lady!"

I laughed as I shut the door and locked the deadbolt. "You only waited up because you want details of the night, Al."

She gracefully made her way down the stairs and stood in the foyer with me. "Yup! Glad you know me so well! Now spill your guts!"

"It's late Alice. Can't we do this in the morning?"

She contemplated this question before finally giving in and pouting, "Oh fine. Tomorrow morning, but no later. Don't be surprised if you wake up and find me sitting on your bed."

I laughed and put my arm around her shoulder as we walked up the stairs together, "I wouldn't expect anything less from you."

"Well that was disappointing." I looked up and saw Rose at the top of the stairs, leaning against the banister.

I looked from her to Alice, confused, "What was?"

"No details about the date because you're "too tired." I know you guys pulled up like forever ago and just sat in the car talking or whatever it was you were doing in there."

I made my way to my room while they stood in the hallway listening to me, "Well, maybe he exhausted me before we even came home and I need to rest from that."

Rose gasped at that comment, "Isabella Swan! You said you'd never do something like that!"

I turned and winked at her, "Never say never, Rose; things can change. Night you guys. Love you."

And with that I left them in the hallway to think about that comment. As I got ready for bed I couldn't help but replay the entire night over and over again in my mind. It was perfect. Nothing could have made it better. I could feel myself really starting to fall for Jason and I couldn't wait to see what the future held for us. I got into bed, with Mo by my side, and couldn't help but smile. It was so nice to go out with a guy who knew how to treat a girl. Not like most guys today, but a real gentleman. I went to sleep with a big goofy grin on my face and I didn't care because I loved feeling like this. Nothing could bring me down from this high.

**EPOV**

I was walking to the field level seats in the stadium but there was no one else around. I looked around for someone to tell me I shouldn't be here this late, after a game we're just supposed to go home but that wasn't the case today. I emerged from the stairs and looked around and saw only one person, Bella. I recognized her by that long, beautiful mahogany hair that I could run my fingers through all day. I yelled down to her as I was making my way towards her seat, "Bella!" I walked down to where she was and it wasn't until I knelt down that I realized the worst, she was crying. Her eyes were so red and looked so full of pain. I went to reach my hands out to her face to move the fallen tears from her cheeks but I couldn't touch her. She just sat there looking out onto the field, I said her name again, "Bella." Nothing. She just sat there and then she got up and walked right by me. I wasn't going to have that. I wanted to be with her so I chased after her. "Bella! Please, don't go. It's me, Edward." Still nothing. She continued walking and I continued yelling after her. She never once responded to me. And just like that, she was gone.

I sat straight up in my bed and looked around. I don't know what I was thinking I'd find; whom am I kidding? I knew what I wanted to see when I looked around the room, I wanted to see Bella, but I knew that would never happen again.

Those first few days after Emmett and Jasper came to my house were rough. I didn't go to practice and I never left my house. I was in a state of depression, I guess. And every day I thought about Bella and how I hurt her; physically hurt her at the hit off. The one image that my mind held onto was the one of her on the ground, curled in pain with tears streaming down her face. I wanted to be the one to wipe the tears from her face but I couldn't because I was an asshole. I never intended to hit her and I never intended to be such a jerk towards her but I screwed that up. And then Emmett and Jasper came and tried to help but I pushed them away. They were my friends and as much as I didn't want to admit it, I needed them. I rubbed my hands over my face and looked at the time. It wasn't too early to make a call.

I picked up my phone, dialed the number and waited as the ringing persisted, almost deciding to hang up before I heard it, "Hello?"

"Hey, Jasper." There was silence on the other end so I figured I better say my piece before he hung up without hearing me out. "I, uh, I was wondering if we can, um, talk."

"Are you sure you're ready for that?"

No shit Sherlock. Obviously I was ready if I was the one calling him and asking if we could talk. "Yeah, I am, actually."

I could practically hear him contemplating in his head if it would be good to meet with me. "Alright. When?"

"Like an hour."

"Okay, I'll see you here in an hour."

Whoa. He's supposed to come to me. "Actually I was thinking you could come here."

"No. Last time I was there you asked me to 'get the hell out' of your house. And I am taking time out of my day to talk with you face-to-face so you can come here."

I started to argue with him before he cut me off. "I'll see you then. Bye."

I held the phone in my hand because I was shocked. Nobody had ever treated me like that, let alone my best friend, but I figured I may as well appease him and go to his place, otherwise, I'll probably never get another chance to talk to him and try to fix this.

I took a quick shower and just threw on some jeans and a dark green, v-neck shirt. I grabbed my keys to the Volvo and made my way to the garage. I was trying to gather my thoughts and rehearse what I was going to say to him but every time I thought I had everything I was going to say, my mind would wander elsewhere. And it always wandered to the dream I had last night. Why was Bella crying? And why couldn't I get close to her? It didn't matter, that wasn't going to happen. I figured the next time I saw her I would make her see who I truly was, not this jerk of a guy I pretend to be. I've already hurt her in every way possible, how much more damage could I do?

A/N: Alright, there it is! The song used for this chapter was "Fallin' For You" by Colbie Caillat. We're hoping to get the next chapter out as soon as we can, so just be patient with us, please. We love hearing what you guys think of this story so please leave us some reviews. As always, it doesn't have to be much, just a line or two but we love knowing how you guys feel about everything. Please and thank you!


	13. Get Back In My Life

Chapter 13:

**A/N: **

**EPOV**

I got in the car and started driving to Jasper's. I hadn't been here in so long but driving there took no effort, like I had never been away for weeks, as if I just drove here yesterday. It was a good thing I didn't have to pay too much attention on remembering how to get there because my mind was wandering in a million different directions. Aside from thinking about what I was going to say to him, I simply could not get my mind off of Bella and the dream. If I'm being completely honest, it made me nervous. I had to see her in pain and cry before and I never wanted her to feel like that again. I sure hope that the dream meant nothing and not some weird deja vu shit.

With my driving, I made it to Jasper's in no time and pulled the key out of the ignition but didn't make any move to get out of the car just yet. I had never apologized to someone and admitted that I needed them to be there for me so I wasn't sure what to say. I didn't want to sound like an ass but I could feel my wall coming up and I knew that would lead to me being defensive. I tried to get rid of it and go into this with an open mind. I got out of my car, made my way to the door and knocked three times. Jasper answered the door soon after. "Hey, Edward. Come on in."

He stepped aside and I stepped in, "Thanks, man."

"Sure thing." Jasper walked right past me and into the kitchen and leaned up against the counter. "So, you said that you wanted to talk."

"Uh, yeah, I did. Um, I-" I didn't know how to do this. _Fuck. _This guy is, or was, I wasn't really sure now, my best friend. It shouldn't be hard to say 'Hey man, I fucked up and I'm sorry. Are we cool?' but it was. I kept looking around the room for some way to ease into this conversation but there was no way. I had to just say it.

Jasper stood up from the counter and put his hands up, "Edward, dude, you did a lot of damage between us and I don't hate you for it. I get it, your upset about not being able to see Bella and that's fine. But don't expect me to sit by and let you take out all your anger on me and not say anything about it." I was so relieved that he said it.

"Thanks, Jasper. Glad we got that out of the way." I started to smile and make my way to the door but he stopped me.

"Hold it, Cullen. I said I understood and that I don't hate you; however, I do expect an apology. And I want to hear it from you, not me. Two words: I'm sorry. I know they may not be in your vocabulary but you need to start learning them otherwise you're not going to have anyone left."

I took a deep breath, _you can do this Edward, no biggy. _"Fine, Jasper, I'm sorry that I was an asshole and I treated you poorly."

He smiled, "That was more than the two words I expected," he put his hand to his heart, "does this mean that Edward Cullen actually has a heart?"

"Shut up." I wanted to be mad at him for making it sound like I didn't have any balls but I couldn't because he had forgiven me. "Thanks, Jazz."

"Sure, Edward. But, now you need to go do the hard part and apologize to Emmett."

_Ugh, Emmett._ He would be the one that may not forgive me and may actually hate me. I started to get nervous. "Don't worry. Just don't lolligag and actually make a sincere apology to him. He'll be able to tell if you're lying and I'm sure you don't want him hating you."

"Right. I guess I'll go over there now."

"Smart thinking. My wisdom must be rubbing off on you."

I started to make my way to the door to leave, "Fuck off, man. I'm pretty smart on my own."

"Keep dreaming, Cullen. You'll never be as smart as I am. Later, dude."

"Later."I hopped in my car, feeling relieved that Jasper was willing to forgive me, and then I felt nervous because I know that Emmett is able to hold a grudge for a really long time and I was hoping that he'd at least be willing to talk to me. _Only one way to find out. _I dialed his number, praying to God that he'd answer. I just kept hearing ring, after ring, after ring, I had decided to hang up when I heard him answer. "Hello."

He was pissed. "Hey, Em. I was wondering if I could come over and apologize to you."

Silence. Nothing but silence. I checked the signal on my phone, making sure that I didn't lose the call, nope, still in service. "Um, Emmett?"

"Yeah, I'm still here. Look, Edward, I have decided to forgive you for being such a douche bag," I couldfeel myself making some snarky remark back to him but decided to bite my tongue, "but you have to understand that you are an asshole. Especially recently and, as your friend, I am not afraid to tell you so. So you're an asshole and I forgive you for doing so."

I was kind of shocked, "Really? That's it? Just like that you forgive me?"

"What? Do you want a parade or something? Man, just be glad that I took your call and I've forgiven you."

"No, yeah, um, thanks."

"Sure thing. Now, I'm hungry because I haven't eaten since I woke up a half hour ago so you wanna get some breakfast with me, or what?"

I laughed at how easily the subject changed to something lighthearted while talking to Emmett, "Yeah, where?"

As I drove to breakfast I felt this huge weight lifted off my shoulders. I had my two best friends back, and I was more determined than ever to earn my spot back on the team. I felt like nothing could stop me. Then I remembered, Bella. The dream. Panic. That could distract me. No, I wouldn't let it. She and I had made a deal and I had to respect that. I wouldn't ask Emmett or Jasper about her, wouldn't call her, nothing. The only thing I had left of her were the memories in my mind, not many at all, but I wouldn't forget her. Ever. She would always be _my_ Bella.

**BPOV**

The feeling was still there. That euphoric feeling, that high that I had from last night's date, that feeling like nothing could stop me and I could do anything. I smiled that goofy smile and stretched until my foot hit something and groaned, "Ugh, Mo, you cannot lay right at my feet, seriously, I need to stretch."

"Do I smell like a dog to you? I just got out of the shower and tried this new floral body wash. I didn't think it smelled too terrible."

I laughed and opened my eyes, "Morning, Al."

"Good morning, Sunshine! Now before we continue this lovely exchange, answer me this: do I really smell like your dog? If so, I am taking that body wash back to the store and getting my money back! I did not pay good money to smell like a husky! No offense, Mo."

Mo looked up at her and just took a deep breath. "I think your dog is slightly offended right now."

Rose walked in at this moment, "Forget the dog feeling offended, I'm offended. Bells, I cannot believe you didn't give us any details of your date when you got home last night!" She shut the door, locked it and stood in front of it with her arms crossed over her chest. "Now, you will not leave this room for any reason until you tell us everything from last night. Start now, please."

I sat up in bed and patted the bed in front of me for Rose to come sit and said sarcastically, "Come sit children and I'll tell you a wonderful story."

Alice sat up on her knees and clapped her hands, "Oh, yay! I love stories! Especially ones that involve hot guys! Now, go!"

I laughed and went into the events of last night, not leaving out any details, except for when he invited me to spend the night at his place. That seemed like something that was just between him and I, especially since I almost accepted. By the time I finished telling the story and answering all of their questions, a half hour had gone by. "So, that's it. That's everything."

Alice looked at me with extreme happiness. "Bella! Oh my God! He sounds amazing! And Disneyland fireworks! Not just any old fireworks but Disneyland fireworks! That's so incredibly sweet of him! And I know you loved it because you kept saying his name in your sleep!"

I automatically blushed, "What? My door was shut last night, how did you hear me?"

She just rolled her eyes at me, "Silly Bella! Look at your clock! It's nine thirty in the morning! I've been waiting since a quarter to eight for you to wake up! And believe me, you may not talk too much when you're awake but when you're asleep, you have the longest conversations ever. I kept trying to get all the details out of you while you were sleeping because it'd make it more fun for me but all I got was 'Jason mumble mumble mumble Jason,' very boring for me."

I could do nothing except laugh at my best friend, "Have you really been waiting that long?"

Rose took the opportunity to chime in, "It's true. I heard her and she tried to get me to wait with her but I just thought it'd be a little creepy to have both of us just staring at you when you woke up."

"Thanks, Rose."

"Sure thing," she got up from the bed and unlocked the door, "Feel free to go wherever you please now. I have everything I need, I'm good."

I got out of bed and walked to the bathroom, "Gee, thanks, warden for letting me out of my cell."

She brushed her shoulders off and smiled, "Think nothing of it."

The rest of the week went by without much going on, for me anyway. Rose and Alice saw more and more of Emmett and Jasper but always made sure they spent time with me. I felt bad, kind of like I was keeping them from being with the guys they really liked and wanted to be with but when I brought it up to them they both just gave me looks like I was crazy. I loved my best friends for not forgetting about me and being able to balance me with their other relationships.

Saturday night came around and Alice and Rose were going out with the guys, since we all spent time together the previous night so my plans were to stay at home and read a new book I had gotten. As much as I loved having some time to myself, if I was being completely honest, I was a little jealous of Rose and Alice. Only because I still hadn't heard anything from Jason. I didn't want to seem desperate and figured he was just waiting to call me but with the days that passed, I felt like he was avoiding me at all costs. I wasn't going to dwell on it and decided to just go with the flow of things, if he wanted to see me, he would, if not, then he didn't. I was a few chapters into my book and totally engrossed in the plot when I heard my phone ring. I answered it without even looking at the caller ID so I could finish the paragraph. "Hello?"

I could hear the smile in his voice as soon as I answered, "Bella! Hey, I'm really sorry I haven't called or anything. Work has been insane for me and I know it's really late notice but I'm off tonight and was wondering if you wanted to get together for dinner?"

I contemplated playing hard-to-get with him, after all, it was really late notice and I was just in my sweats, no make up, with my hair in a bun. Maybe a little fun for me is what I needed, "Hi, Jason. I'm doing well, thanks for asking."

"Oh, yeah, I'm sorry. I just didn't want you to hang up on me thinking I was a jerk or anything."

Okay, now I kind of felt bad for wanting to play games with him. "No, I appreciate it, really. Um, so dinner tonight?"

"Yeah, I could be at your place in about thirty minutes and we could go. Is that okay?"

This is what I wanted, "Yeah, definitely. I'll see you in a bit."

"Great, see you soon. Bye."

And with that, I got off the couch and made my way upstairs to change. This was an instant when I needed Alice to put together a great outfit on such short notice. I opened my closet doors and saw a piece of paper fall on the ground and saw Alice's handwriting.

"_Bells, It's warm out tonight so wear the midnight blue, now that's MIDNIGHT blue, not NAVY blue, HUGE difference, Missy! Anyway, the midnight blue, cotton dress with the silver flats. Run your fingers through your hair because I know it's in a bun now so that highlights the natural waves. Put on some mascara and the peach lip gloss that you never use. And voila! You're set! Have fun! Can't wait for the details... tonight. XOXO Rose and Ali."_

I laughed and was curious as to how they knew I would need help choosing an outfit, then I remembered, Alice. She always knew and I couldn't be more grateful for her. I changed into the dress, took my hair down and ran my fingers through it and did the very minimal make up. Just as I was slipping my feet into the flats the doorbell rang and I ran down the stairs to open it and couldn't help the smile that crossed my face when I saw Jason.

"Hey, Bella. Wow! You look amazing. Very beautiful," Jason said as he stepped into the doorway, shutting the door gently behind him.

"Thank you, Jason. You don't look too bad yourself." And he didn't. He was wearing a gray V-neck shirt with an open black vest and dark wash jeans. I felt myself lick my lips when I saw him and I couldn't help it. We just stood on the foyer staring at each other and I couldn't help myself, I grabbed his neck and pulled his lips down to mine and kissed him with reckless abandon. At first, he was stunned and didn't react but then his hands went around my waist and pulled me closer to him and his tongue slipped into my mouth and we continued kissing in front of the door until I had to pull away to breathe. "Sorry. I couldn't help it."

He pulled back and stared at me with a huge grin on his face, "No, please don't apologize, by all means, please continue with that."

I laughed, "Maybe later, but you said something about dinner, not making out in my house." At that moment, I heard paws barreling down the stairs and claws trying to grasp the wood flooring as Mo came to a skidding halt between me and Jason. The lowest, most threatening growl I had ever heard escaped Mo, fully directed at Jason. "Mo!" I yelled at him. He turned his head to look at me, almost begging me to understand what he was trying to say, but I had no idea. "I am so sorry about this, Jason. He never acts like this. I don't know what got into him," I said as I dragged Mo to the back door and let him outside.

He joined me by the door and wrapped an arm around my waist causing Mo to charge the door."It's quite alright, I'm a stranger to him. No big deal. It's not the first time it's happened. So, back to dinner. I was thinking of going somewhere simple, just a small restaurant in Fullerton."

He opened the front door and led me to the car. He opened my door for me and I slid in, "Yeah, that sounds great."

"Perfect." He got in the driver's seat and drove us to a small brick building in the heart of downtown Fullerton and it looked really small and so relaxed, exactly what I was in the mood for.

He opened up my door and grabbed my hand and led me inside. Dinner was so good and the atmosphere of the restaurant was relaxed which gave us easy conversation. As we finished up dinner he said we couldn't leave yet until we had a snickerdoodle cookie because they were the "best in town." That's what I loved about him. The little things he did for me and always making sure I was taken care of first, he was the real deal and I was so glad he was mine. For now.

After the cookies, we got back in the car and he drove me back home. I didn't want to end the date but he had to get up early the next day and was working in the afternoon. The car ride seemed to go by way too fast and before I knew it, we were back in front of the house. I turned to him and smiled but before I could say anything he pulled me in for a gentle kiss. "I had a great time with you, Bella. Thank you for coming out with me on such short notice."

"No, thank you for asking me out. I'm glad I came." He walked over to my side of the car and helped me out and walked me up to the door.

"Again, thank you for letting me take you out to dinner." He placed a kiss on my lips and gently touched my cheek afterwards. I leaned in for another chaste kiss before he left and opened the door. Nobody was home yet so I had the house to myself again. I went upstairs, took off my make up and changed into my pajamas. I picked up my book and continued reading but I couldn't focus. Deep down, I felt like something was wrong. I didn't know with what or with who or why but something didn't feel right.

I couldn't take it anymore and decided I'd sleep, hoping this feeling would go away. The next day Alice and Rose asked for details since I went to bed before they got home I told them everything, of course, and they were pleased with what they heard. Then they shared their news, we were going to the Angels game on Tuesday and I was so excited. It was just what I needed to get my mind off everything.

Tuesday came around and we were dressed and ready to go to the game. We got to the stadium right as batting practice started and we watched our team practice. Alice got her ball that she always wanted, even though she cheated and had Jasper give it to her, and we cheered them on to get ourselves pumped for the actual game. The game started out slow but then picked up and after the eighth inning, we were tied and needed just one run in the next inning to win. I decided to head to the restroom in between innings. As I was walking back to my seat I saw him, Jason was walking my way and I was excited to see him. "Jason!"

He looked at me and gave me a small smile_._ He walked straight up to me and gave me a hug. "Hi, Bella."

I pulled back from his hug and looked at him, "Jason? Is everything okay?" He looked past me and smiled even bigger and winked. "Yeah! Everything is great!"

I breathed a sigh of relief, "That's good! So what's up?" He looked at me but it's like he wasn't looking at me, but past me. I turned around and saw a blonde girl who was pretty and kept staring at Jason. She mouthed "hi," winked at him and walked away. I turned back to Jason. "What was that about?"

He looked at me as if he had never seen me before, "What?"

I walked back a few steps from him, "That girl. Wh-what was that? The wink and the _flirting?"_ I felt like my heart was literally being clenched.

"Oh, her. Yeah, I just met her actually, she's a real sweetheart and I think she's going to be my new fling."

I was livid, "Are you serious! You're new fling? What about us? And, and the dates we've had and the fireworks?"

He looked at me as if he was surprised I was acting like this, "Whoa. Bella. Come on, now. I thought you knew. I don't do relationships, I do relations."

I just stared at him in shock, "So everything you did, everything you said..."

He stepped towards me and stroked my cheek, "Honey, how do you think I know what to do to treat a girl right? I have had a lot of practice with ladies."

I couldn't do anything but just stand there in shock. He just stood there, "Well, Bella, this is extremely awkward now so I'm going to take off. Have fun with the rest of the game!"

He walked away. I leaned back up against a wall because I couldn't do anything else. I heard the cheering from the fans and looked up at the small television. We had won. The fireworks went off and the halo was being lit up and I decided to make my way back to my seat before there were too many crowds leaving. I got back to our seats to see Alice and Rose jumping up and down and cheering, I just sat down. "Bella!"

I looked up and met Alice's excited eyes with my lost stare. "Oh my God, Bella, sweetie, what's wrong?"

Rose looked over and sat down with us, "Bella. You're scaring me, please say something."

"He's gone." That was all I could say. I just kept repeating it over and over again. Eventually, we were there long enough that the stadium was practically empty.

Alice spoke up, "Bella, we need to go home. The game's over and we should go so you can rest."

I couldn't move but I knew I needed something. _Space, I need space._ I turned to them, "Can you guys go home with the guys? I think I just need to be by myself and think. I need space."

They looked to one another skeptically but Rose spoke up, "Yeah, we'll go. Just let us know where you are, okay?"

I nodded and let them move past me as soon as they left I started crying. The tears just flowed and I couldn't help them. I don't know how long I sat there, just crying. I was crying so hard I heard my heart beating in my ears and I couldn't breathe. It literally felt like my heart was being pulled out of my chest. I heard my name being called but I couldn't see anything or hear anything else except my ragged breathing. I thought it was a dream, there was no way I could feel this much pain in reality. Somebody knelt down next to me, I thought it was an usher telling me I needed to leave. I had probably been there for way too long. "Bella."

I tried to stop crying and look to see who it was but I couldn't see anything and just cried even harder. "Bella," I felt a hand reach out to my face and wipe my tears away, "Bella, please answer me." I stopped breathing heavy and was able to see who was next to me and only saw concern.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt? What happened?"

"Edward, I-I thought we, we had, we had-" And I started crying again. He pulled me to him and I couldn't help it. I wrapped my arms around his neck and held onto him like he was the only thing in the world that would keep me here.

"I, he said, nothing, it was nothing, I was nothing." I felt his arms wrap around my waist and I was lifted up for a split second, just long enough for him to sit in my seat and rearrange me on his lap. "Shhh, Bella. It's okay, I promise."

I just shook my head and cried impossibly harder into his chest, "No, it won't be. It's not okay. Nothing about this is okay. I'll never be okay."

He rubbed my back soothingly, almost like my dad did when I was younger, and I instantly felt myself relax into him even more. "Yes, you will. But now, Bella, who's here with you? We have to go, they're going to shut down the stadium soon."

I finally stopped crying enough to talk to him, I didn't care what I looked like to him, I knew I was a wreck, "I, um, I was here with Alice and Rosalie but I told them to go home because I needed space."

He wiped the rest of the tears from my cheeks, "You may want to check your phone and see if they tried talking to you. The game ended a long time ago and they're probably worried."

I pulled out my phone from my pocket to check and sure enough, they had tried to get ahold of me. Fourteen texts, seven phone calls, and five voicemails from Alice and Rose. And three calls each from Emmett and Jasper. I sent both Alice and Rose a text telling them I was okay and would let them know where I was when I left. I got a reassuring text from Rose telling me to take all the time I needed. And I started to cry again, remembering why I needed space in the first place.

"Bella, shh, it'll all be okay, but we are going to have to go somewhere. I'm going to make sure we don't get locked in here." I simply nodded my head and stood up but started to sway and he caught me. Only then did I realize the insane headache I had from crying so much and so hard. "Whoa, there, don't fall down on me now."

He removed his hand from my arm and gently reached for my hand to lead me out of the stadium. "Come on, I'll take you home."

"No, I have my car here still, I'll just drive myself... somewhere"

He turned to me and swept some hair out from my face, "Normally, I'd be all for you taking yourself , somewhere, but you just look so exhausted that I don't really trust you behind the wheel. It'd make me really nervous and probably give me a panic attack if I let you go."

We walked to my car and I pulled out my keys, unlocking it and walking to the driver's side door until I felt a gentle pull on my arm. "Bella, I'm serious. I can't let you get behind the wheel without giving myself a panic attack," he held out his hand, "please, I promise to drive very carefully and not wreck your car."

I stared at him for a little bit and decided not to fight it, I was too tired to fight. I didn't have any energy to do anything else but sleep. I gave him my keys and walked to the passenger side as he climbed in to the driver's seat. "Alright, Bella, you'll have to give me directions because I have no clue where you live, I bet you're glad about that, all I know is that it's in Yorba Linda so-" he stopped talking when he looked at me.

Tears. Just when I thought I couldn't possibly have any more tears to shed, they came out and wouldn't stop. It was for a different reason though that these tears flowed, there were memories of Jason and I that were so fresh, especially on the doorstep that I just wasn't ready to face yet, "I can't, I don't want to go home. I can't- please."

I looked at him with desperate eyes, "Please, Edward, please take me somewhere but don't take me home. Please."

**EPOV**

Reality hit me. Like a sledgehammer, I was greeted with reality and unfortunately, it was the one thing that I didn't want to be reality. Bella. _My_ Bella was there, in her seat, crying. _Just like in the dream._ I made my way towards her, praying to God that this wasn't another dream and I could help her and touch her. I called her name and nothing, no response at all. _Shit._ She was crying hysterically and I couldn't believe it. I had never seen so much pain in one person and it hurt me that she was hurting so bad. I called her name again, "Bella."

I reached out to touch her cheek and wipe her tears away. "Bella, please answer me."

She stopped crying just long enough to look at me and she was beautiful. "Are you okay? Are you hurt? What happened?"

I could tell by her response that she was trying to be strong and stick to the deal we had made but I couldn't leave her, not like this. And she started crying again and I don't know what came over me but I didn't fight it and I pulled her into my arms. If she wanted to pull away then she could but right now, I was going to wrap my arms around her. And she wrapped her arms around my neck like I was her everything. She started saying things that didn't make any sense together, something about being nothing and that killed me. I lifted her up to put her on my lap as I sat in the seat that she previously occupied. I tried my best to calm her down, "Shhh, Bella. It's okay, I promise."

Again, she had something to say back to me, _typical Bella, can never just take what I say and be okay with that._ But that was fine by me, I loved her for who she was. _Love? Whoa, that came out of nowhere._ I told her that we needed to go, hoping that one of her friends was here to take care of her and make sure she got home safely. She did not look well enough to drive and I wouldn't let her. Knowing how close she was to her friends, I figured they'd probably be looking for her and trying to ask her where she was. I told her to check her phone and sure enough they had tried every way to get in contact with her, as well as Emmett and Jasper. She sent them a quick reply telling them she was fine. And the tears flowed from her eyes. Normally when girls cried a lot they just seemed needy and way too emotional for me, but when Bella cried, it was tragically beautiful. Again, I told her we needed to go and this time she got up but started swaying the second she was on her feet and I caught her just in time. "Whoa, there, don't fall down on me now."

I grabbed her hand, hoping she wouldn't pull away and she didn't, and led her out of the stadium to her car. I said I'd take her home but she objected, of course. Then I looked at her, swept the hair out of her beautiful, chocolate eyes and told her why I couldn't let her drive home. And it was all the truth. I cared way too much for her and if anything happened to her... I couldn't imagine that. I wouldn't imagine that. Eventually, she gave in and let me drive. I tried asking for directions and turned to her only to see even more tears falling down and I wanted to stop them. She didn't deserve this pain. "Please, Edward, please take me somewhere but don't take me home. Please."

She didn't want to go home, but she had no where else to go. I was in a dilemma of my own: where do I take her? I didn't want to deny her and cause her any more pain so I started driving.


	14. My Paper Heart

Chapter 13: My Paper Heart

**A/N: Hello, loves! Thank you for all the favorite story/author, story/author alert and the reviews. They truly mean a lot to us! Now, we'd like to apologize for the year long absence, but we are determined to finish this story. Enjoy!**

**BPOV**

I looked at him with desperation and felt like all the pleading I could do was being done with my eyes, even through the tears. I could tell he was having some sort of internal battle with himself and he didn't know what to choose. Finally, he started driving out of the stadium parking lot towards the freeway. I started to get a little worried because I really didn't want to go home but it seemed like he was taking me exactly there. I looked at him to protest but he spoke first, "Don't worry, I heard you, not your house."

I gave him a weak smile, the best I could muster up at the time, "Thanks. But where are we going then?"

He started to fidget in his seat and cleared his throat, "I, um, I was going to take you to... You know, it's really late and you, you didn't want to go home so, um," and then it hit me, he was nervous. And I was in shock.

"Edward, are you nervous about something?" He grabbed the steering wheel with both hands and gripped it really hard, making his knuckles turn white. "Oh my God. You are nervous but why?"

I looked at him, waiting for an answer because: one, I had never seen him as anything other than cocky so I wanted to know what his deal was; and two, I still had no clue where we were going and I really wanted to know. I was going to ask him again, but as soon as I opened my mouth, he put his hand up to stop me. "I'm, I just, it is late, already eleven, and you said you didn't want to go home and nothing is really open right now and I'm not just going to take you to some random park or hotel or something so I, um," he looked over at me nervously, "I was going to take you to my house."

I was in shock and my first instinct was to protest and demand that he take me home. Then I remembered why I was sitting by myself in a stadium, made for thousands of people, and after a split second, that instinct went away. I was so exhausted and felt as if my body weighed ten thousand pounds. At this rate, I was lucky to be sitting upright. If I was being completely honest, I just wanted to lay down somewhere, anywhere. And as much as I disliked Edward, tonight I'd make an exception for him. He must have thought I was really upset because there was worry in his voice and he was backtracking.

"Bella, it was just a thought, I mean, I'm sure something's open right now and we could just go-" This time, I put my hand up to stop him.

"No, no, actually, I would really like to go to your house. As long as it's okay with you and you're not doing it because you feel bad for me. If that's the case, then just take me home now and I'll deal with everything there."

He turned to me with the softest expression I had ever seen on him, "If I didn't want to take you there on my own accord, I would have made up some other place to take you."

We were both silent after he said that. Me, because I was thinking of how different he was acting. This was so much different from the guy who was known to have the biggest ego in the entire Major League Baseball company. This soft-spoken, caring, brooding guy was not the one that I had come to know and hate. I much preferred this Edward to the other one though, but I was prepared for him to return to his old ways full force by morning. For now, I was just going to go with it and make full use of the considerate Edward in front of me.

I felt my eyes starting to close, but I really wanted to stay awake to see his house and so I could let Alice and Rose know that I wasn't coming home for the night, but I'd be taken care of. My eyes were becoming extremely heavy, so I leaned my head against the car window and before I knew it, my vision was consumed by blackness. My dreams must have started right away because the last thing I remember hearing was "Sleep, my Bella." That couldn't have come from him, we hated each other and we had made a deal to act as if we had never met. _Yes, Bella, it's just a dream and you'll have many more._ I put it out of my mind and let sleep consume me.

**EPOV**

I knew exactly where I was going to take her, although I didn't tell her that. I did think about telling her but I didn't think me saying, "Lets go back to my place," would do me any favors. Telling her in a way that made it seem like I genuinely cared was going to be the tricky part. _Drive, just drive and it'll work it's way into the conversation._ So I went with my gut and pulled out of the stadium and onto the freeway. I glanced over at Bella. She looked upset and I didn't want her to be unhappy or angry with me, so I spoke before she did, "Don't worry, I heard you, not your house."

That seemed to relax her a bit but then she asked where I was taking her, the very question I was dreading. _Don't be an ass about it, just be open and honest with her. _I started to tell her but I couldn't get the words out. Not only could I not get the words right, I couldn't form simple thoughts or make complete sentences, so I sounded like a babbling idiot. I was nervous but didn't want her to see it. Something told me she saw right through me though. _Fuck. _"Oh my God. You are nervous but why?"

_This was it Cullen, now or never. _I fumbled over my words, no shock there, but finally told her, "I was going to take you to my house."

There. Done. She didn't look too happy about it. I knew I shouldn't have said it. It was too soon and she'd think I was an even bigger asshole than I already was, so I started to take back what I had said. Now I was shocked, she wanted to go back to my house as long as it wasn't a pity party for her and it was definitely the furthest thing from that. I just wanted to make sure she was going to be okay and protected. Nothing was going to hurt her, not while I was around and what better place to look after her than in my own home. I wanted her there, with me. Forever.

Silence filled the car and there was a moment when I saw her eyelids flutter shut. I knew she was going to be asleep soon. She looked so exhausted and disheveled but, to me, she couldn't have been more beautiful. I could tell she was fighting sleep, for whatever reason ,but then her head rested against the window and I knew she was going out. Just when I thought she was out completely, I whispered to her, "Sleep my Bella."

I pulled up to the gates of my community about twenty minutes after Bella had fallen asleep. Close to midnight, no wonder she was so exhausted. Surprisingly, I wasn't too tired, it just made me uncomfortable to see her so hurt and tired. As she slept, she would twitch every now and then, mumbling something random and none of it sounded pleasant. There were times when it seemed like she was running away from something and a flash of worry would cross her face until whatever was going through her mind subsided. A few times when I thought she was going to start crying in her sleep, when it seemed like she was on the verge of tears, I would reach over and give her knee a reassuring squeeze and that seemed to alleviate some of her internal pain. Just as I pulled up to my house, I felt the exhaustion hit my body. As I shut off the car, I took a deep breath that released all the tension in my shoulders. I hadn't realized I was so tense worrying about Bella. I looked over at her sleeping form and hated that I would have to move her in a second but I was not about to wake her up, especially when it seemed she had finally settled down.

I got out of the driver's seat, walked around to the passenger side and began to take off her seatbelt which seemed to stir her awake, somewhat. She looked around very confused. I didn't want her to freak out on me, so I stroked her hair and whispered, "Bella? It's just me, Edward. I'm going to take you upstairs so you can go to sleep, okay?"

She looked at me with half-lidded eyes and just nodded. I put my arms behind her knees and back and carried her up to the front door, locking the car behind us. As soon as I got in the house, I closed and locked the door and immediately made my way up the stairs, directly to my room. I gently laid her on the bed after I had pulled back the covers and began to remove her Converses. She was dressed in a red Angels shirt and denim shorts, definitely not as comfortable as pajamas but I wasn't going to try and change her clothes. I didn't need her waking up, realizing what I had done and completely flip her lid. I pulled the blankets up to her chest and started to move away until she grabbed my hand, startling me. I knelt down next to her, "What do you need, Bella?"

She tried opening her eyes, not all the way but just enough so I could see her chocolate eyes, and whispered one word, "Stay."

Needless to say, I was stunned. Bella was asking me to stay with her and, for once, I didn't know what to do or say. "Wh-what?"

She started to pull the blankets up under her chin and turn to the other wall but I heard her say it again, "Stay, please."

Dilemma. I could either do as she asked and what I wanted, or I could leave, sleep in another room, and act as if nothing had happened tomorrow morning. If I stayed with Bella tonight, would she remember that she asked me to stay with her? What if she woke up and started freaking out at the sight of me next to her and start beating me up? _Girl knew how to defend herself, that's for sure._ I was trying to change her impression of me and, somehow, I don't think waking up next to me, in my bed, in my house, would do that for her. On the other hand, if I went to another room and acted as if nothing happened, would she remember she asked me to stay and how I blatantly refused? Neither question seemed to help me. I decided to go with my gut and choose, in my book, the lesser of two evils.

First, I sent a text to Jasper asking if he was still with Bella's friend and got a response saying yes. I quickly told him that I had Bella at my place, just spending the night and would be back at her house tomorrow. I made it a point to mention that Bella didn't want to go home and that nothing was going on between us. I knew Jasper well enough that if the pixie started to flip a shit, he'd be able to calm her down. I brushed my teeth, changed into pajama pants and a shirt, grabbed a spare blanket and made my way to the bed, praying to God that Bella would remember this in the morning.

I crawled under the blankets, after much contemplation as to where to lie in accordance to Bella, finally settling for right next to her, under the covers. I threw the spare blanket over her, knowing that my room was the coolest in the house. Although I was used to it, I didn't think Bella would appreciate waking up with goosebumps running all up and down her arms and legs. As soon as I laid down, I immediately turned on my side, staring at Bella's gorgeous face and saw such a calm look overtake her. I never saw this side of her, probably because I was always such an ass to her and she had such a strong fucking wall up whenever she was around me, but I was determined to change that. Then, just as I was getting used to the idea of always seeing such a calm look on her face, her eyebrows started to knit together and she started whimpering. Then I saw it. One, single tear fall from her eye. I kissed it away with the softest of kisses I could manage. The tear stopped but the whimpering persisted, so I pulled her close to my chest and began stroking her back, like I had earlier at the stadium. Her arm wrapped around my waist and I felt her body relax and the whimpers turned into deep, steady breaths at my touch.

This felt right. It was like Bella's small frame was molded to fit into my side. Like her head was the perfect shape to lay right on my chest comfortably, as if we were meant to be together. I was so determined to make it happen. People don't always get second chances and I knew, out of anyone, I was the last person who deserved one, especially with Bella, but I wasn't going to screw this up. I needed her. The only question was: would she feel the same about me?

A bright light, that's all I saw from behind my eyelids, the sound of birds chirping incessantly filling my ears. _Morning. Fuck._ I opened my eyes and started to stretch when my fingers brushed something so soft. I looked over at the unfamiliar touch. Bella. Everything from the previous night came back to me, the dream, except this time, it wasn't a dream and it was all so real, unfortunately. Bella crying, and all the pain in her eyes. One thing was different though, I was able to touch her, help her out and bring her back here. That was the best part, that she was here with me and we weren't fighting. She didn't object to coming here when I first told her where I was going. I just hoped she wouldn't go back to hating me once she woke up. I got up because I didn't know how she'd react to seeing me first thing in the morning. Not knowing what to do, I brushed my teeth, showered and got dressed.

After getting dressed, I walked back into the bedroom and stopped dead in my tracks at the sight before me. I couldn't get over how beautiful Bella was. Even asleep and in her most vulnerable state, she was gorgeous. Her hair was splayed out all around her, like a halo, her hands clasped around the pillow with her knees curled up against her chest and her lips slightly parted. She sighed deeply and turned over to her other side. I decided to leave before she thought of me as some creeper who just stared at her while she slept.

As soon as I got downstairs, I went to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. When it was ready, I grabbed a cup, took it outside and sat down by the pool, looking out onto the golf course behind my house. I was sitting out there just to think, wondering how I could change Bella's perception of me, without making her think I was being completely fake with her. That was going to be a challenge.

**BPOV**

_Cold. I was so cold._ I reached down and grabbed the first thing my hands touched and pulled the fleece blanket under my chin. Then I saw sunlight, heard what sounded like hundreds of birds chirping, the sound of a lawnmower, then something really unfamiliar. It sounded like a ping, not very loud but just loud enough to make me curious. I opened my eyes and nothing looked familiar. At all. I started to panic and scrambled out of bed to find my way out. I saw the sliding glass door that lead out to a balcony and walked out to gather my surroundings. I saw a golf course right in front of me. _Golf course? I don't live near a golf course? _I looked down into a backyard and saw a pool to the left and a grassy area and a barbeque island to the right. I really started to panic and could feel myself starting to hyperventilate and grabbed the railing, slowly sinking down onto the floor. I didn't know where I was and I had no clue where my phone was. It wasn't in my pocket where I had left it. I pulled my knees into my chest and put my head down, taking in a few deep breaths. _Chill out, Bella! You're fine, just figure out where you are and get yourself home. Breathe, breathe, breathe..._

"Bella? Are you okay?" I looked up and saw Edward, then remembered last night. _His house._

I released my knees and stood up, wiping off my shorts, "Yeah, I'm fine."

I walked right past him and started looking on the bed for my phone. It wasn't there so I turned my attention to the nightstand. Not there either. I got down on my knees and started to look under the bed. There it was. I stood up and realized he was just watching me from the balcony, "What?"

"Nothing, I was just-"

"Staring at me."

"Okay, sure. I was staring at you."

I grabbed my shoes and started to put them on, "Do you have my keys still?"

He walked over to the other nightstand and threw them on the bed, "Right here."

"Thanks." I grabbed my keys, making sure I had everything and began to walk downstairs. I knew he was following me.

I reached the bottom of the stairs and turned to him, "Edward, thank you, for everything last night. That was, um, really sweet of you."

I started to turn around and was almost to the door when he called me back, "Bella?"

I really just wanted to go, afraid that he was going to turn back into the old Edward, the one I hated so much, and make some crude remark about having me in his bed. I decided to at least be cordial to him and turn around, "Yes, Edward?"

He ran his fingers through his hair and looked at me, "I was wondering if maybe you'd like to spend the day with me? Or at least just stay for breakfast?" I stared at him in complete shock, literally speechless. Edward was asking me to spend the day with him? Or at the very least, breakfast? My silence was making him nervous, clearly, because he kept fidgeting and kept moving his weight from one foot to the other. "If you don't want to, that's completely understandable. After all, we did make a deal."

I couldn't think of anything except one word, "Why?"

He walked toward me, his confidence growing with each step he took, and I felt like I would regret asking him that simple question. He kept walking until he was so close that I had to look up to look him in the eye. "Because I know what an ass I've been to you and I'm really, truly sorry for that. You don't deserve to be treated like that and I know your friends don't like me and they're very protective of you. And now, you have Emmett and Jasper to protect and look out for you, no matter what. And I know you hate me, but I need another shot. Please, Bella. I know the deal we made was for me to stay away from you, as if we had never met but I just can't, not anymore. I know I can't just stay away from you and act like everything is okay."

I had to look away from him. I couldn't look at him anymore because I was so taken aback by his words. I didn't know what to say or do. I knew what I expected to see and hear from him, but what actually came out of his mouth caught me so off guard. I was not prepared for it. I backed away from him and turned towards the door, closing my eyes. The only thing that went through my mind was the deal. The deal that I had made, that I had wanted, that I had fought for. My hand wrapped around to my rib cage where the bruise was just about done healing and I remembered everything. The way he acted towards me when we first met, when we went to dinner and he brought that bimbo with him, the way he ruined my shot. So many things were unforgivable and, even though there was that whole "forgive and forget" mantra, I didn't think it could apply here. I could forgive him but I would never be able to forget. I had to be strong here, I wasn't about to give into him and become another one of his infamous conquests. I couldn't be that girl. I wouldn't. I turned to him but couldn't look at him at first. I felt tears starting to form. I had to do this now, for good, "Edward, I- I really appreciate what you did for me last night, I really do, and for listening to me and caring for me and bringing me here. But, I, _we_ had a deal. I asked for this and you agreed to it. And, as sincere as you sound, I just can't." By this time, the tears were rapidly streaming down my face.

"But Bella I-" I still couldn't look at him.

"Edward, please, let me finish. I can't let myself be fooled by you, I've been there and done that once already and I'm not going to fall for your womanizing ways. You've treated me horribly and the things you've done and said to me, I could never forget. Actions speak louder than words and your actions speak volumes. Volumes that I don't want to be associated with."

By this time, I had looked up at him and what I saw nearly made me take back everything I had just said. He looked so hurt by my words. But I couldn't take them back, I had to be strong. "I'm really sorry but I can't. Thank you again, though, truly."

I walked out the door and to my car as fast as I could, chancing a look back at the house and saw Edward standing in the doorway, just staring at me. He looked so pained and truly hurt by what I said but I still refused to take anything back. I had to stand by my words. It was what I wanted, wasn't it?

**A/N:** **Okay, so there we have it! The song used for this chapter was "My Paper Heart," by The All-American Rejects. And, the song for last chapter, because we totally fail at author's notes was, "Get Back In My Life," by Maroon 5. Please feel free to drop us a line, regarding anything and everything we read and respond to each one!**


	15. Morningside

Chapter 14: Morningside

**A/N: Hello, hello my dears! First off, thank you for all the favorite stories/ authors, story/author alerts and all your reviews! We love receiving your reviews and replying back! And a huge thank you to the person who helped most with this chapter, you're amazing! With all that said, here you go!**

**EPOV**

I stood there as Bella walked toward the bedroom door, tears running down her cheeks. Why was it every time I was around her she had tears in her eyes? I hesitated before following her. We had had an agreement after all. But I couldn't just stand there. I started after her as she made her way down the stairs. I watched as she walked out the front door and out of my life for what felt like the hundredth time. By the time I got to the front door she was already in her car, keys in the ignition. I made to go after her, but at that moment she lifted her head and the look in her eye told me that she was done, that I had blown it yet again.

Why did it always have to come to this? Being with Bella, it felt so right, yet every way I looked it was as if the universe was trying to tear us apart. No. This wasn't the universe or some higher power or whatever, this was all me. I had no one to blame but myself. I don't even know why I thought Bella would want to spend time with me or even be around me for that matter. She was exactly right. I had been nothing but horrible to her. Not just her, every woman that's ever been in my life. I've never been in any resemblance of a committed relationship and I've never had the intention of being in one. I did treat women like they were disposable and I couldn't say that I wasn't aware of what I was doing because I knew precisely what how to act to seduce women and what to do and say when I was done with them. But I've never felt connected to any of those other women I've dated, well not exactly dated, and I knew that was no excuse but Bella was different. I wasn't sure why she was different I just knew that she was and that I couldn't let her just walk away, not without a fight. I ran down the front steps, my arms flailing. I wasn't going to let this happen. Nothing else mattered, not me, not my baseball, none of it meant anything if I couldn't have her.

"Bella, wait!" I yelled as she began pulling out of the driveway. She startled and slammed on the breaks, her body leaning forward with the abrupt stop. She gazed at me with a look of fear in her eyes. Come on Edward, this is your last and only shot I told myself, don't fuck it up. I grabbed the handle and flung her door open. "You can't do this. You can't go," I pleaded desperately. She sat there, frozen in shock, a look of bewilderment on her face. I looked around not knowing exactly what to do or say to convince her to stay. This was unknown territory for me. I was usually the one trying to make women leave, not stay. I reached into the car and unbuckled her seatbelt.

"Edward!" she gasped, seeming to snap back to reality. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" she shouted pushing me with such force I was thrown back. I groaned stumbling backwards, a sharp pain shooting through my head as it collided with the roof of her car. My hand reflexively went to rub the back of my head. Everything was spinning as I saw Bella get out of her seat and come towards me, her eyes burning with anger. She pushed against my chest making me lose my footing. I hit the ground falling flat on my back. "You!" Bella screamed as her fist met my left ear. "Are!" Ouch, another punch. "An!" I let out what sounded like a kind of whimper as she added her feet to the mix. "Ass!" I curled into the fetal position as she continued hitting me. She may be small but her blows definitely had power behind them. I could feel her losing steam and chanced a glance at her. She was red in the face and crying even harder than she had been before. I could hear her ragged breath as she finally broke down and kneeled on the grass in a heap, her head in her hands as she sobbed, "You're all the same". My head throbbed as I sat up. I didn't make a move to get near her. I didn't know what to do, but I knew getting closer to her wasn't it. I fought the urge to put my arms around her as she started to calm down. When the tears did finally stop she sat there, her head still in her hands, not saying a word. I almost wished she would start crying again. The silence was excruciating.

"Bella, I—"

She held up her hand up and I stopped. "Why?" she said so softly I wasn't quite sure I had heard anything.

"Why what?" I asked cautiously.

"Why did you have to come into my life? Everything was fine and then you came like a whirlwind turning everything upside down." She laid down on my front lawn as if we weren't on display for all of my neighbors to see if they only looked through their windows. "I knew what I wanted. I knew where I wanted to be and now I don't know anything anymore."

I scoffed, "I could ask you the same thing." Shit. I shouldn't have said that. That was bad. Bad bad bad Edward. You're supposed to not be a douche and that was a douchy thing to say. I silently berated myself for not thinking before I spoke.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I could hear some of the anger return to her voice as she perched herself up on her elbows. I sat there my mouth hanging open, not knowing how to fix what had come out of it. Insert foot in mouth I thought to myself. "I didn't do anything to you," she snapped. She jumped up and began pacing back and forth. "I'm sorry that I'm not just another bimbo that will just let you fuck me and then throw me out like I'm last week's trash. I'm sorry that I won't just be one more notch on your belt. I'm sorry that I have some self respect and some brains to see through your act. I'm sorry that I ever thought for even a second that maybe just maybe it was just that, an act, and that maybe you would be different with me. But it's not an act. You really are an arrogant, womanizing, asshole who doesn't give a shit about anyone but himself. You think you can just walk all over everyone and there are never any consequences. But there are consequences. The things you do affect people even if they don't affect you.  
You hurt people and you don't even realize or care. You are a horrible human being." She stopped and looked me dead in the eye as she said in an eerily calm voice, "I'm sorry that Alice ever called that radio station. In fact, I'm sorry that I ever met you, Edward Cullen."

She looked at me with such a piercing gaze that I had to look away. I couldn't protest to anything she had said. I never really thought about how my actions affected other people. I never cared enough to even think about how what I did and said would hurt the people around me. Really no one had ever meant enough to me. I mean I cared about Jasper and Emmett, but that wasn't the same thing.

"You're right," I admitted. She looked at me clearly surprised by my response. I stood up and took a deep breath wanting to make sure I said what I wanted and needed to say. "Everything you just said is one hundred percent true. I've never cared. Not until now. I know that I have down horrible and unforgivable things to you, Bella. I also know I can never go back and change them no matter how much I wish I could. And I am so incredibly sorry for all of it, and even though you've completely turned my life upside down, I'm not sorry that I met you. Walking into that conference room, seeing you that day, was the best thing that could have happened to me. Even though I may have done things that will make me lose you forever, meeting you was the best thing that's ever happened to me. I was content before, I had my routine, my act, but you made me realize what I've been missing, what I've wanted all along. I can't explain why or how you affect me so much but you do. You make me want so badly to be a better person, to be a person who actually deserves you, but I'm not. I don't deserve you and I know that. I don't even deserve for you to be standing here right now and I will understand if you turn around right now, get back in your car and drive away without looking back. I also know that I don't deserve another chance, but I swear to you, if you give me just one more shot I won't mess it up again. I want to be someone that you'd want to be with and I don't know how to do that. But if you're willing to teach me, I'm willing to learn. I care about you enough to learn." I reached my hand out, trying to look as sincere and genuine as I felt. I was done. I was done trying to say the right thing or do what she wanted me to do. Everything I've done has only made things worse. All I could do was bare my feelings to her and hope that she wouldn't leave, that I wouldn't scare her into running for her life. I'd never felt so nervous in my whole life. I took a deep breath, "I love you enough to learn."

**BPOV**

My heart was racing. There were so many different emotions swimming around my mind I could hardly see straight. I couldn't handle this. First Jason does a complete one eighty on me and now Edward. This was just too much for me. The past few months I'd been on an emotional roller coaster and I was ready to get off. I didn't know what to do. Part of me wanted to believe everything Edward was saying. I wanted him to be this person so badly, but I can't change him, I can't make him a better person. People can't really change, can they? The other part of me was angry, angry at Edward for saying all of the things I wanted to hear, for not letting me run away. No, I wasn't mad at Edward. All he had done was help me when I needed someone. I was mad at Jason. I thought he was different. He made me feel special, but I wasn't special. I meant nothing to him. But was I really made at him? I think I was most angry with myself. I had always prided myself on not being that girl, the one who falls head over heels for a guy without making sure there was a safety net for me to fall back on. Yet here I was standing on Edward Cullen's front lawn crying my eyes out because I had done exactly what I promised myself I would never do. So why wasn't I getting back in my car like Edward had said? Why wasn't I running as fast and as far as I possibly could? Because I was afraid. I was afraid of Edward, of how he made me feel. Even though every fiber of my being was telling me I should get as far away from him and those feelings as I could, my heart was telling me to stay, to give him one last chance, that he wouldn't hurt me, that I should take a chance because if I didn't I was going to miss out on something really special.

With every moment that passed between us Edward's expression became less and less hopeful. Finally, he turned and started to go back inside. "I'm sorry. I should have just let you leave. I've caused you enough pain."

"Don't," I breathed. He turned to meet my gaze and I mustered what little courage I could. If I was going to do this, I had to do it right. I couldn't second guess myself or change my mind and go back and forth all the time. If I was going to give Edward a chance I needed to give him everything I had. "Don't do that. Don't be a martyr." I stepped toward him, refusing to drop his gaze. I stopped when we were within inches of each other. I would have sworn he could hear my heart beating in my chest. I wanted to tell him that he didn't have to change, that he was exactly what I wanted. I wanted to tell him that I felt the same way as he did. I wanted to tell him everything I felt. "Do you have eggs?" I asked. A smile spread across Edward's face and I couldn't help but laugh. That wasn't exactly what I'd been going for but I could feel the tension seeping out of the situation.

"Yeah," he laughed, "I have eggs."

I nodded and grabbed his hand taking another deep breath. This felt right. "Let's make some breakfast," I smiled and led him toward his front door.

"Wait," Edward said as I reached for the door knob. I turned and felt my heart rate pick up again. Maybe he wasn't sure about us. Maybe he didn't want to give us a try. Maybe he was having doubts. I felt my heart drop expecting to be disappointed yet again. "Are you sure about this? Really sure?" I could see the sincerity in his eyes.

"No," I said matter-of-factly. "I'm not. I'm not sure of anything anymore." I could tell that wasn't the answer he had been hoping for, but it was the truth. "But I am sure that right here, right now, being here with you I feel like I'm where I'm supposed to be. And that's enough for me."

I could feel Edward trying to read into what I was saying, trying to make sure that I was one hundred percent sure about what I was saying. Finally, he nodded seeming to be happy with what he saw. "Okay. Then do you like scrambled or over easy?" He asked as we went into the house as if we hadn't just had a complete breakdown on his front lawn.

"Most definitely scrambled," I smiled as we made our way back to the kitchen.

"Scrambled I can do." Edward pulled out a barstool and bowed. "You're chair ma' lady," he said with a wink.

"You're so kind dear sir," I giggled. "But I think I'd like to help."

"Nope. You must sit and relax and let me do all the work," he insisted grabbing me around the waist, lifting me and placing me in the seat. "Stay," he commanded with a laugh.

I crossed my arms feigning anger. "Fine." He went around the counter and started getting out everything to make breakfast, showing me each ingredient one at a time with a wiggle of his eyebrow. I couldn't help but laugh. This was such a change from what I had been feeling lately, yet I had no trouble letting go as surprising as that was. "Can I at least—"

"No," he cut in laughing at my stubbornness. "Why won't you let me spoil you?"

"Because I am a strong, independent woman who doesn't need a man to complete me," I said trying to keep a straight face unsuccessfully. I jumped out of my seat determined to do something. After all I was used to being in control in the kitchen. I grabbed an apple off the counter and cheered in victory. "Just let me cut this up," I begged.

"Bella," he chuckled.

"You know I'm not going to be content until you let me help so you may as well just give in now," I smiled.

He sighed in defeat, "Alright. Here," he said handing over a knife.

"Thank you."

We stood in the kitchen, working side-by-side, and I couldn't take the smile off of my face. For all of the chaos that had been going on in my life, I think it was all leading to this, this moment with Edward and I was so thankful for it. Much to my surprise, I felt good about being with him.

"Woah, what are you doing?" I asked as Edward was about to pour the eggs into the pan.

"Making scrambled eggs…" he said questioningly.

"You forgot the water," I said as if it was obvious.

"The water?" He looked at me as if I had lost my mind.

"You're supposed to add a little bit of water to the eggs to make them nice fluffy," I said grabbing the bowl, adding just a bit of water and adding it to the mixture before pouring it in the pan. I reached for the spatula as the eggs began to cook.

"What are _you_ doing?"

"Making scrambled eggs, duh," I said mockingly.

"I've never heard of that before," he said sounding like he thought I need to get my head checked out.

"Then you've never had good scrambled eggs before."

"Uh huh," he said still sounding skeptical.

I turned to him a serious look on my face. "Don't you trust me?"

I hesitantly touched his hand to my cheek. "Yes. I do."

"Then you'll love these," I said quickly turning back to the eggs. I gulped and took a deep breath to calm myself. Feeling Edward's touch on my check had sent a wave of emotion through my body. I felt as if I would hardly be able to contain it. I smiled to myself feeling completely elated. "All done!" I announced plating the eggs. Edward grabbed the orange juice he'd poured for us and led the way to the table. We sat enjoying each other's company and conversation. "So?" I asked, "How were they?"

He put his last bite of egg in his mouth taking his time to chew. "Maybe they were a little fluffier," he finally admitted with a grin.

I laughed out loud. "I told you so."

"Hey, watch it. You might lose your balance if your head gets any bigger." I narrowed my eyes and smiled curtly.

"You're just soooo hilarious," I said rolling my eyes.

"I know. Pair that with my charming smile and great hair and I'm irresistible," Edward said sarcastically.

"Now who's getting the big head," I retorted without missing a beat. We both started laughing and I looked down to see that both of our plates were empty. I hesitated, unsure of what to do.

"Here, let me get that," Edward said standing up and clearing my plate as if he had been reading my mind. "So, do you have any special plans for today," he asked cautiously.

"Well, I did get this really attractive offer to spend the day with this guy I know, but I'm not really sure if he's still into it," I said coyly getting up from my seat. I placed my elbows on the counter and raised an eyebrow and Edward answered with a knowing smile.

"Oh, I believe he's still interested," I said with a look of desire in his eyes.

"In that case I'm all yours," I smiled.

"Excellent. I already know exactly what we should do." He walked toward me holding out his hand. "You're turn. Do you trust me?" He asked playfully, but I could hear the serious undertone to his voice.

I hesitated for just a second before placing my hand in his outstretched palm. "Yes. I do."

He closed his fingers around mine and led me toward his garage. He reached for something on a top shelf and handed it to me. "Put this on," he instructed.

I gave him a 'no way in hell am I putting this thing on' look as I pushed the motorcycle helmet back into his hands. "No way."

"You said you trust me."

My mouth opened and closed several times before I answered. "I- I do."

"Then you're going to love this," he said plastering a big grin on his face.

My eyes darted back and forth between the helmet and the bike that sat in the center of the garage as if it were on display. I was so not comfortable with this plan at all. It was so dangerous and who knew what kind of damage could come from it. I began shaking my head fully prepared to insist we do something else, but then I realized that those were the same reasons I had been hesitate about Edward. It was dangerous for me to trust him and I didn't know what kind of damage could come from me letting him in, but I wasn't afraid to find out. If I could let go of my fears of being with Edward, why couldn't I get over my fear of his motorcycle.

"Okay," I gave in still feeling completely unsure. Edward smiled as he helped me pull the helmet over my head and fasten it. When I was situated on the on the seat behind him I could feel my heart beating as if it was going to jump out of my chest.

"Hold on tight," he said before pulling out of the driveway. As soon as we started moving my grip around Edward's waist tightened and I leaned my head on his shoulder, my eyes squeezed shut. "Open your eyes, Bella," I heard Edward shout over the engine. I shook my head into his shoulder. "Come on, I promise I won't let anything happen to you." You have to trust him I told myself or this was never going to work. Slowly, I opened my eyes and lifted my head and the adrenaline rush I felt was amazing. I let out a big sigh along with a laugh. So this is what it felt like to face your fears. I held tightly to Edward relishing in the joy I felt. After so much heart ache lately, finally, I felt like things were going to be okay, like I was going to be okay.

**A/N: Well, there you have it; yet another chapter for you guys. We hope you enjoyed it! The song used for this chapter was "Morningside," by Sara Bareilles. Okay, you know how much we love getting reviews from you guys and they really do help us! We literally read each and every one and respond back to each. If there's advice in your review, we consider it; if there's something you like or don't like or want an explanation for, we'll do that, as well. So, please, please, drop us a line; we really appreciate them!**


	16. One and Only

Chapter 15: One and Only

**A/N: Hi hi! Okay, so the usual still applies here, with that said, a huge thank you for all the story/author alerts, the favorite author/story and the reviews, they seriously make our days! Again, a huge thank you to the one who is amazing and beyond words, without you, this definitely wouldn't be possible. Here you guys go!**

**BPOV**

I closed my car door and leaned against it failing to hold back the smile that had been plastered on my face all day. I laughed out loud as I tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. "Wow," I whispered. This had been one of the best days of my life and even though I had lived through it, it still felt so surreal. I wasn't even sure how I had gotten here. How had I gone from being so happy with Jason, to having my heart ripped out and crushed, to spending an entire day with Edward Cullen voluntarily and not being able to remember the last time I'd felt so happy? I didn't have an answer and for the first time in my life I was okay with that.

"Oh. My. God." Alice's shrill voice interrupted my thoughts. "Isabella Swan! What on earth happened to you?" she demanded as she stopped in front of me, her arms crossed, foot tapping impatiently.

"Alice, you said we weren't going to ambush her," I heard Rose reprimand her.

"Yeah, Alice, I thought you weren't going to ambush me," I laughed mockingly.

"Oh you both know I'm not good at containing myself." She grabbed my hand and dragged me into the house. "Sit!" she commanded pushing me onto the couch. She sat Indian style on the coffee table with her elbows perched on her knees waiting to hear every little detail. "Now spill. And don't you dare leave one single thing out."

"Alright. Alright. Just take a chill pill." I couldn't help but laugh at her eagerness.

I could tell Rose was just as eager to hear what had happened between Edward and I as she came to sit next to me on the couch. "So where have you been?" she asked.

I giggled like a giddy fourteen-year-old girl. "We went to the zoo."

"_Ta Da," Edward announced as he brought the bike to a stop and helped me off the back. _

"_Really?" I asked sarcastically. This was not at all what I'd had in mind for our first date. Date? Is that what this was? What I thought this was?_

"_What?" he asked, his expression drooping into one of uncertainty and second guessing. _

_I reached for his hand willing to play along. "How cliché of you," I said mockingly. Edward looked at me with a scrutinizing gaze in his eyes. He looked from me to our intertwined hands and back at me. I suddenly felt self-conscious and pulled my hand away. Maybe I had been too forward without even thinking about it. I subconsciously bit my lip and looked away. Maybe this wasn't meant to be. Maybe this was a sign. Maybe I should just leave now before things went any further and my heart got broken yet again. Maybe I was destined to spend the rest of my life alone. _

"_Stop it, Bella." Edward's voice brought me out of my internal rant. He placed his hand on my cheek sending a wave of sparks coursing through my body. "I can see the gears turning," he said softly. "You just caught my off guard. That's all." He smiled warmly and encouragingly taking my hand in his. My heart was pounding erratically, uncontrollably. I couldn't remember being this nervous ever, not even before a big softball game, never. I knew Edward could sense my anxiety. "You okay?" he asked gently. I could tell he was putting a lot of effort into being perceptive to how I was feeling and what I wanted and I appreciated it so much. _

_I took a deep breath and smiled. "Perfect," I said as convincingly as I could. Edward was being wonderful and I didn't want to ruin it by freaking out for no reason. _

_Edward's amazingly crooked smile returned as he asked, "So, what do you want to see first?"_

"_Mmmm…" I exaggerated my pondering. "I have no idea. You decide."_

_We made our way to the ticket center and had a five minute argument over who was going to pay for whom. I wanted to make it easy and have us each just pay for ourselves, but no that wasn't good enough for Edward. He insisted on being chivalrous and paying for both of our tickets. I finally gave in when he agreed to let me pay for lunch. _

_I'll admit I had been skeptical when I saw where he was taking me. I mean the zoo, come on, were we in high school? But I ended up enjoying myself a lot more than I thought I would. I'm pretty sure being with Edward had a lot to do with that. I had never seen this side of him before. I could tell he was being silly and cheesy just to make me smile and that only made me smile more. _

"_Come on, Bella, make the face. Don't be a party pooper," he prodded me as we stood in front of one of the fish tanks in the marine section of the zoo. He was trying to get a picture of the fish in the background with us making fishy faces and I was being stubborn. I shook my head, my ribs hurting from laughing so hard, as he puckered his lips and started bobbing his head. _

"_Would you like us to take a picture for you?" an older woman who had been standing nearby watching our antics asked._

_I opened my mouth to thank her and decline, but Edward beat me to it. "Yes, that would be very kind of you," he said as he handed the camera over. I made eye contact with him and gave him a look that said he was going to be in big trouble later. _

"_Alright, get closer you two," the man who I assumed was her husband said as his wife readied the camera. "Act like you like each other," he said with a wink. I couldn't help but smile at how sweet they were. He had his hand on the woman's waist, a gesture that seemed so private and intimate I looked away. My eye was caught by Edward who was looking at me with a very sincere look in his eye. I couldn't make myself drop his gaze and my heart felt like it was swelling in my chest. _

"_Oh, that's a perfect picture," the woman exclaimed. I turned around quickly as if I was suddenly very interested in the fish swimming about. She handed the camera back to Edward who thanked her profusely. _

"_She was right. It is a good one." Edward stood beside me inspecting the photograph. _

_I swallowed hard trying to force back the tears I could feel welling up in my eyes. I didn't want Edward to think there was something wrong because there wasn't. Nothing was wrong. Today had been better than I could have ever envisioned and it wasn't even over yet. Maybe that was what was wrong. I was just starting to realize how much this meant to me, how much Edward meant to me and it was overwhelming. I had never felt like this before. I had never thought I _could_ feel like this, let alone feel this way about Edward Cullen. Edward, who had crushed any hope I'd had left in the male species. Edward, who had single-handedly ruined my chances of making it to the Olympics. Edward, who had been absolutely horrible to me from the moment I met him. Now, here I was spending the entire day with him and having one of the best, if not the best day of my life. It was a lot for a girl to deal with._

"_Are you crying?" Edward's worried voice broke through the silence._

"_No," I whimpered as I tried to inconspicuously wipe away my tears. _

"_Did I do something wrong?"he asked as he reached his hand toward me, but seeming to second guess himself, pulled it back. I felt so incredibly stupid for having reacted the way I did. Why did I always have to ruin everything? "Do you want to leave? We can go somewhere else. I can take you home. Whatever you want to do," he said very quickly, clearly unsure of what to do. _

"_No," I said again shaking my head. "No, I'm great." I wiped at the few tears that had rolled down my cheeks. "Really, I am. I just…" I trailed off, biting my lip nervously. "There's nowhere else I'd rather be." I took his hand in mine. "Let me see that picture." He handed me the camera and I flipped through all of the pictures we'd taken before. I enjoyed seeing the pictures of us in front of the giant pandas, sea lions and petting zoo. It made me smile to see all of the memories we had made, the memories that no one could ever take away from me. I got to the photo we had just taken and it took me aback. The woman had taken the picture when Edward and I had been looking at each other. There was a subtle sweetness and caring in the way we were looking at each other that warmed my heart. "That is a good one," I agreed. _

_We continued on to the reptile house, which was not my favorite part of the day at all. As cliché as it was for me to be afraid of all of the creepy crawlers, I was. Even though there was a thick piece of glass between me and them, they still terrified me. It didn't help that Edward thought it was hilarious to tap his fingers across my back every time I would chance a closer look at the exhibits. Once my nerves had officially been frazzled we went to get some lunch. Even though he had agreed to let me pay earlier, Edward put up a good fight. I had to threaten to go back and offer him up to the lions as a late afternoon snack before he finally conceded. I was surprised at how easy it was for us to make conversation. We talked about anything and everything. It was nice to get a glimpse at the real, human side of Edward, not just the famous, baseball playing, womanizing Edward Cullen that was portrayed to the world. _

_I noticed the time and felt disappointed. The day was already more than half over. I didn't want the day to end. I didn't want to leave the zoo and go back out into the real world. I didn't want things to do go back to how they had been, with Edward and I basically being at each others' throats every time we saw each other. I wasn't sure how we'd gotten to where we were today. But however it happened, I was grateful and I didn't want anything to change. _Stop it, _I told myself. Why did I always do that? I always obsessed over the smallest details and over-analyzed every situation and every word said. I had always thought the man I would want to be with would be perfect for me. However, Edward and I weren't "perfect for each other". We were anything but perfect. Maybe that's why my relationships never seemed to last. I was so concerned with everyone and everything being perfect all the time but nothing could ever be perfect. Yet after today, I knew it could come pretty darn close. In fact, life could be perfectly imperfect. Maybe that's what Edward and I were, perfectly imperfect. _

_We stopped in front of the Capuchin monkey exhibit. "They're so cute," I said with a wrinkle of my nose. _

"_So are you," Edward said in a sincere tone. I looked at him and he had a serious look in his eyes. I tried to maintain my composure, but didn't have a lot of success. I bent over with a burst of laughter, trying desperately to sober up when I saw the hurt look in Edward's eyes. _

"_I'm sorry," I said covering my mouth with my hand. I choked back my last few chuckles. "That was really sweet of you," I nodded still not really holding back my giggles. I felt so awkward because I couldn't stop laughing, but Edward was standing there with such a disheartened look in his eye. I looked around trying to conjure up what to say to make up for my blunder. _

_Out of nowhere the edges of his mouth twitched and spread into a huge grin. "I was just kidding," he laughed. My expression hardened immediately. Now he was the one that couldn't stop laughing. "I couldn't resist. You should have seen your face," he said sounding very amused with himself. My mouth dropped open. I could not believe he'd done that to me or that I'd totally fallen for it. I was so not laughing anymore. My eyebrows furrowed as I hit Edward's arm. "Ow, that was so painful," he teased._

"_You are an awful human being, Edward Cullen!"_

"_Aw, but you love me," he schmoozed placing a big tacky grin on his face. _

"_You wish," I sneered. However, his use of the "L" word had not escaped me. _

"_You can admit it I won't tell anyone," he chortled. _

_Without missing a beat I answered dryly, "If I did your head might actually explode from your enormous ego."_

_He laughed and made an explosive gesture with his hands, as if his head were actually exploding. That finally made me breakdown and start laughing again. We continued making our way through all of the exhibits and as the day came to a close I could feel the mood growing more serious by the minute. Our last stop before the zoo closed was the penguin exhibit. I wasn't sure how it had come up but, I had started telling Edward all the little facts I had picked up about penguins here and there. _

"_They spend their whole lives looking for that one other penguin they're meant to be with and when they finally mate, they mate for life," I explained. "Even if they never see each other again, they never mate with another penguin," I said wistfully. I had always admired that, they're loyalty and commitment. I turned to look at him and realized how close we'd been standing. Our faces were within inches of each other. There was so much tension and attraction in the air one probably could have cut it with a knife. My eyes met Edward's and it was as if a fog had been blanketed over my thoughts because I suddenly couldn't remember what I'd meant to say next. _

"_Today has been amazing," he said. I couldn't even form words. All I could do was nod in agreement. "It doesn't even feel like it's been real," he whispered as he tucked a piece of hair behind my ear, coming even closer._

_I swallowed hard searching for my voice. "It's real," I breathed, "I'm real." I placed my hand in his and squeezed it tightly to reassure him. I wanted so badly for him to close the little distance that remained between us. I wanted him to place his lips on mine and kiss me like I'd never been kissed before. _

_He smiled sweetly and said, "I guess I'd better get you home before your friends start to worry."_

_I nodded solemnly, feeling disappointed. I must have read the moment wrong. I hoped I had because if I hadn't that meant that Edward wasn't feeling the same way that I was. Feelings of rejection started creeping into my mind, but were pushed away when Edward grabbed my hand and held it firmly as we walked back to where he'd parked his bike. _

"Holy cow!" Alice exclaimed as I finished telling them everything.

"That does not sound like the same Edward Cullen who you told to stay out of your life forever," Rose gaped, her eyebrows raised in confusion.

"I know, right. He was… I don't even know how to describe it, but I really think I'm falling for him," I blushed.

"I would be lying if I said I wasn't totally shocked," Rose offered.

"Ditto," Alice agreed nodding her head with enthusiasm.

"You're shocked? How do you think I feel?" I said sarcastically.

"But I think I'm pleasantly surprised," Alice said hopefully. "You really seem happy," she confirmed patting my hand with hers.

"Thanks, Al," I smiled. "I feel really happy."

**EPOV**

I flopped back on my bed resting my hand behind my head. I had visions of Bella running through my mind and I couldn't make them stop. Not that I wanted them to. If I could just see her smile everyday for the rest of my life, I'd give up anything, everything. Today had gone even better than I could have ever imagined. Being with her was just easy. I didn't feel any pressure to live up to anyone's expectations or stereotype. I was able to just be myself and I liked it.

The only thing I regretted was not kissing her when we'd been in front of the penguins. My instincts had told me to go for it, but they had definitely been wrong before. I had felt really close to her and I thought she felt it too but I wasn't sure. Things had just been going so well and I didn't want to make Bella uncomfortable by moving too quickly. That's alright I told myself. There would be a lot more opportunities to come, hopefully.

I wanted to call her or text her, at least do something, but I figured I should give her some space. I was certain of how I was feeling, but things had taken a sharp turn so quickly. I thought it would be best to give her a chance to adjust and process everything. Eventually, I must have fallen asleep because I woke up to the sound of the phone ringing.

"Hello?" I answered groggily still half asleep.

"Did I wake you up?" I heard Bella's gentle voice through the receiver.

"Mmm, yeah, but it's really okay," I said as I sat up and rubbed the sleep out of my eye. I looked at the clock and saw that it was only 8:22 p.m. "I shouldn't be sleeping yet anyway," I assured her. "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing well. I just wanted to avoid the awkward waiting for one of us to get up the nerve to call the other, so I figured I'd just get it over with," she said quickly. I couldn't help but laugh at her honesty. "I also wanted to say that I had a really great time today and thank you. It really meant a lot to me," she said nervously. I found it endearing that she was so uneasy.

"It meant a lot to me too," I declared. "I'm really glad you called. I haven't been able to stop thinking about you." I stopped abruptly realizing I'd said the last part out loud.

I could hear the smile in her voice when she said sheepishly, "Neither have I."

Our conversation continued with ease and lasted until the wee hours of the night. I finally hung up after Bella had fallen asleep on me for the second time. She'd tried to stay awake like a trooper, but eventually her replies grew shorter and shorter until I could hear her even breathing on the other side of the phone. I put the phone back on the hook, undressed and crawled into bed. I still couldn't believe that Bella and I had spent an entire day together and nothing had gone wrong. Today had been a fairytale. Except this wasn't the happy ending. It was only the beginning.

**A/N: So, sweet enough for you guys? The song used for this chapter was "One and Only," by the, fabulous, Adele. I'm going to plug her and say if you guys haven't already, definitely check her out because she's amazing! And, as in the beginning AN, the same still applies and we love receiving your reviews and love responding to them! So, please, feel free to send us one and we WILL get back to you!**


	17. Heartbreaker

Chapter 16: Heartbreaker

**A/N: Why, hello there! Thank you all for the favorite story/author, the story/author alerts and the reviews! A huge thank you to the person who pushed this chapter to get done; you're amazing! With that said, here we go!**

**EPOV**

Bliss. Pure and utter bliss, that is all I felt with Bella and I couldn't have been more shocked. It seems like a lifetime ago that she and I completely hated each other and had agreed to not see one another, ever again. But I was so glad she gave me another shot. I knew I wouldn't mess it up, not when I wanted her so badly.

Bella's call after our date was just the start of everything. We had either texted or called each other every day, never once forgetting and I always made it a point to initiate the conversation, showing her that I'm not a douche and I can be very gentlemanly, just like my mother taught me to be. And occasionally, we saw each other. Bella made it a point that we didn't see each other every second of every day so neither of us would become so dependent on the other and this worked for me. After earning my spot back on the team, I had a busy schedule with practice, games, maintaining the friendships I had destroyed once and Bella had her own things going on. She had her softball, which included lessons, practices, games, tournaments, it seemed like her entire life revolved around that sport. And that was just one of the many things I loved about her. _Love, there's that word again. And it only comes up when I think of Bella, go figure._ But when she wasn't doing something softball related, she was hanging out with the Blonde and the Pixie, this being mostly the pixie's doing because, as she put it, she was "ensuring she didn't lose her best friend to some dude and that Bella _needed_ girl time," whatever that was.

However, when Bella and I did see each other, it was like nothing could touch us. And because we were both so busy we cherished all the time we had together. Some days we would just hang out around my house, watching movies or going in the pool, just lazing around but always cooking some meal together. Other days we would go out and spend all day just doing random things. I took her to the lake by my house, went to Catalina for the day, went to the aquarium, I felt like we had seen all of Southern California. But my favorite thing was when we would ride down to the beach, which was always such a calming place for both of us, on my bike. After that initial ride, Bella loved it and only wanted to go out on the bike. Eventually, the days always ended and we had to go our separate ways. That was always the hardest part, leaving her. She always had this content look on her face with a smile that was irreplaceable. There were so many times when I wanted her to come back to my house and just stay with me. She hadn't stayed over since that first night and I missed having her in my bed. It wasn't for any sexual reasons, having Bella by my side, even while sleeping, felt like the right thing.

And during the following weeks I did end up officially meeting her friends, who also agreed to give me a second chance, whose names I now know as Rosalie and Alice. Some nights, if we were all up for it, we would all go out together. Watching Emmett and Jasper with the two girls was different; it was like seeing completely different sides of all of them. You could see how much they each loved the other, and everything they did seemed so personal. Hell, Jasper and Alice always seemed to be having some silent conversation going on. Emmett was much more calm around Rosalie and she definitely let her guard down with him and actually seemed really, really sweet. I prayed that some day Bella and I would be them, to the extent that when people looked at us, they could truly see just how much we cared for one another.

The four weeks following the zoo was probably the best month of my life. Bella and I had begun a relationship; making it official the next time we saw each other after the zoo. And we stuck to what we had decided, both of us having our own lives outside of each other and seeing each other every so often. It was perfect, we were so good together and it seemed like nothing bad could ever happen. We were having such a good time with each other. This was new to me since I had never had a really serious relationship, ever. But with Bella I just wanted to be with her and nobody else. We hadn't said the "L" word yet and it was so nice. Although there were times I wanted to tell her I loved her but I didn't want to rush anything and scare her away. When the time is right, I'll tell her.

Since earning my spot back on the team I was playing in all the games, with a few days off every now and then. Practice was going well, I wasn't arguing with James all the time, the team as a whole was working well and we were winning the games we were playing. One day, after a great practice, Jasper, Emmett and I were walking back to the locker rooms to get changed. Afterwards, I was going to go home, and just relax, getting ready for our next series. Once I was done with my shower and had my clothes on, I was talking to the guys about the freeway series coming up, meaning we were playing the Dodgers. Our biggest rivals in California, maybe even the entire Major League Baseball Company when our assistant coach came over, "Cullen, can we see you in the office for a minute?"

I wasn't expecting to get called in and looked to Emmett and Jasper for help but they both looked as stumped as I did, "Uh, yeah, sure."

I walked to the office, following coach in and shut the door behind me and turned around to see Scioscia sitting behind the desk, "Edward."

I nodded at him, "Sir."

It wasn't until I looked around and saw all of our coaches in the room, which couldn't possibly be a good sign, that I started to worry. "Edward, take a seat, please."

Scioscia motioned to the one chair in front of the desk and I took it. They were all looking to one another or avoiding eye contact with me, another bad sign. "Sir, um, did I do something wrong?"

I was running through everything I had done recently but couldn't think of anything horrible that I had done or been a part of. "No, Edward, nothing at all. Actually, you've been doing everything right lately. You've been doing extremely well in practice and during games, you're one of our best players. So, no, you haven't done anything wrong."

I was so confused now, "Oh. Okay, then why this meeting?"

Scioscia looked around the room and hesitated, "Um, well, the thing is, as I'm sure you know, trading hasn't closed yet but it will be soon. And we've been asked to trade a few of our players and you were asked to be traded."

"Traded? Me? To where? Why?"

"As I said before, you've been playing really well lately. You always have played really well, aside from that bit of time where I had to bench you, but you're a great ball player and people have noticed. One team in particular has been asking for you, for a while, actually."

Here it comes. This is it. This is when he would tell me I'd have to go somewhere across the country, or to the Mid-West, somewhere where my best friends weren't. Somewhere where Bella wouldn't be. Somewhere where the one person I truly love and completely care for wouldn't be. I didn't want to hear it but I knew it was coming, best to get it over with. "Which team?"

"It's not that far at all, still in the state. But the Dodgers have put up an offer for you and the owner of our team has accepted it."

This was so surreal. "The Dodgers? As in Los Angeles?"

"The very team."

Now I was starting to get really upset, "No offense to you guys but you do realize that our next series, as in the one we play next is the Freeway series. Against the Dodgers."

"Yes, we know."

"Do I get a say in this at all?"

"Unfortunately, no. You're not a free agent and your agent has agreed to this and worked out the deal with the two owners so, you're leaving the team."

"Leaving? This is the only team I've ever played on, this is my team." I stood up and slammed my hands on the desk, "You guys are my coaches, this stadium is my stadium, the uniforms are mine, this club is mine. The only club I've ever wanted to be a part of."

"Edward, I realize you're upset but there are some really great opportunities out there. Los Angeles is still a really great team and they've been doing really well this season. Plus, you're going to start in the series—"

"The series? As in the upcoming series? Where we play them?"

"Yes."

"How soon am I leaving? Or how soon are you guys kicking me out?"

"We need your locker cleaned out by the end of the week. You don't have to do it today but by the end of the week, for sure. You can come any time you'd like, just let them know in the offices upstairs beforehand so they can let you in."

I pushed off the desk with my hands and they automatically balled into fists. I stepped back and looked at all of them, "Fine. By the end of the week, it'll be like I was never here."

"Edward. Wait."

I was almost to the door but turned around, "What!"

"If it were up to us," he gestured to all the other coaches, "you wouldn't be leaving. We'd keep you here. You're a great player and you'll definitely be missed around here."

I looked at each one until they looked me in the eyes, "Bullshit."

I walked out of the office to get my jacket and helmet so I could leave and get out of here. I needed out of the stadium since it wasn't mine any longer. By then the locker room had pretty much cleared out except for a few rookies and Emmett and Jasper. I vaguely heard Jasper talking to me as I grabbed my things, "Hey, Edward. What's wrong?"

I walked out without responding. I practically ran to the parking lot and heard them calling my name but I wasn't going to talk to them. I threw on my jacket and helmet as soon as I was at my bike, hopped on and took off. I needed to get away, to go anywhere but the stadium. I just needed to think and fully wrap my head around what had just happened. I, Edward Cullen, had just been traded. Traded from the only team I ever wanted to play for and the only team I had ever known. If it wasn't for that fucking agent, if it weren't for that greedy son of a bitch who never spoke to me about anything, never thought about what I would want. Deep down, I know that I couldn't have done anything about it. Trading season wasn't over and because I wasn't a free agent I had to go. Just like that, granted, it was still in California so that was a good thing. Aside from that, there was nothing. It wasn't a forty-minute drive from my house anymore, it was further away from my home and from Bella. _Bella. _I had to tell her and tell her soon. Before I knew it I was in front of her house. I didn't even remember the ride over but here I was. _No better time like the present._

I got off my bike and made my way to the door, having no idea what I was going to say, just knowing that I needed to talk to her. Now.

I knocked on the door four times before someone opened the door and I was praying that it would be Bella. It was. _Thank you, Jesus._ "Oh, wow. Hey, Edward. Do you want to come in?"

I wanted to but then didn't want to because I knew Alice and Rosalie could be home and I didn't want them to overhear and tell Emmett and Jasper. "Are you home alone?"

"Yeah. Rose and Ali went shopping. Is everything okay?"

She stepped aside to let me in and I walked straight to the couch, staring ahead as I sat down, "Bella, I, um,"

Bella shut the door and came to sit next to me, "Edward, what happened?"

I looked at her and all I could think of was that I loved her so much. "I've been traded."

All that showed up on her face was shock, "What?"

"I got traded to another team today, apparently."

"Traded as in going to another team; somewhere else not with the Angels. Where are you going?"

She looked at me with hope in her eyes and I knew she was hoping that I wouldn't be leaving her but knowing how big of a fan she was, the actual news may be more devastating to hear.

"Los Angeles."

"As in the Dodgers." She turned her head and just looked the other way and all I could do was stare because her face went from shock, to hope, to fear.

"As in the Dodgers. Bella, why do you look scared?"

"Jacob."

_Fuck._ I forgot that was Black's team and that he and Bella were apparently buddy, buddy. He would definitely not be happy about this news. I sat back against the couch and rubbed my hands over my face. Could this day possibly get any worse?

Bella turned her whole body to me, "You're going to LA, does that mean you're moving there? Like, leaving Orange County?"

I took her hands from her lap, "No, I'm not moving. I'll still live in the same house it's just going to be a hell of a commute."

"Can't you ask to not be traded? Why you?"

I went over the entire conversation I had with the coaches and explained all the reasons why I didn't have a choice and I had to go. Also including that I would be wearing blue instead of red during the Freeway series. She sat there and listened to it all then spoke, "So, I guess this means I need to go shopping."

"Why?"

"So I can get some Dodger blue. If my boyfriend is being traded then I need to support whichever team he's on. Even though I will forever be an Angels' fan and I cannot stand the Dodgers. Two very important people in my life are on the team so I need to support both of them."

I raised an eyebrow at her, "You're taking this news exceptionally well."

She gave a small laugh, "Well, clearly you're not because you came over unannounced and looked like something had gone horribly wrong. So, since you're still in shock, I'll be the reasonable one here and look at this logically. You're still doing what you love, just in a different place but I'll be there with you."

I couldn't help myself and kissed her, expressing all of my gratitude in that one kiss, "Thank you." I was still pissed as hell but knowing that I had Bella as my rock made me feel at least slightly better about the whole thing.

"Always. So when do you have to be in LA?"

"Coach- or Scioscia said I have to have my locker cleaned out there by the end of the week and I'm assuming I'm supposed to be in LA sometime this week or early next week. That way I can get used to the field, the guys, their specific plays, all of that. But they did say that I'll be starting so I guess that's the bright side to this all."

Bella playfully punched my arm, "That's the attitude!"

I felt better, calmer about the huge blow that I had just taken. I still wasn't happy but figured I'd grin and bear it, with Bella's help, of course. After spending some more time talking with Bella I decided to go home so I could call my agent to see what the hell was going on. I left her house and rode back to mine and the second I walked in the door my phone rang, "Hello?"

"Edward! Dude, we've been trying to get a hold of you all afternoon."

"Em, I'm just really not in the mood to talk about it."

"You don't have to. Scioscia told us after you left, but don't worry, only Jasper and I know right now. How ya hangin' bro?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose, already feeling the pressure in my head from being so angry from earlier, "Pissed the fuck off! I hate this but nothing I can do because I have an agent, greedy prick. So now I have to call him and see when I have to report to Hell."

"Well, that's better than how I expected you to react. Did you tell Bella?"

"Yeah, already did."

"How'd she take it? Rose once said they got into a verbal argument with a Dodger fan explaining why Angels' fans are so much better and by the end of it, Bella was scarily calm while the guy was grasping at straws. As they've said the Angels are 'their team.'"

I laughed picturing all the knowledge these three girls have on our, or the, team. "She was pretty cool about it all. But she did remind me that Jacob Black is on the Dodgers."

"Oh, you're best friend, huh. Well, good luck with him, dude. Just ignore him and he shouldn't give you too much crap."

"Ha, yeah right. Black is always looking for reasons to pick a fight with me, I'm sure he'll have some words for me."

"Then don't say anything. He's a waste of your time."

"Yeah, we'll see how it all goes this next week."

"True story! Well, I'm gonna let you run but if you need anything, like some help beating Black up, you know where to find me!"

I laughed, thanking whatever God I could that Emmett wasn't going to throw away our friendship just because I was traded. "Thanks, man. Later."

"Hasta pasta!"

I hung up with Emmett and called my agent, who said that this "great career move" was going to happen soon. Meaning, I had to be at Dodger stadium tomorrow morning at nine to get started with the team. _Awesome._ I spent the rest of the night at my piano. I needed to do something that was soothing so I figured why not play since I hadn't done it in a while. Playing always calmed me down and made any sense of time disappear and before I knew it, it was late and time for me to go to bed. I got undressed and ready for bed and as I was lying there I couldn't help but think of how crazy the past month had been. It felt like it was literally a whirlwind. I was just about to fall asleep when my phone went off with a text. _"Don't worry about tomorrow or the trade. It doesn't matter what team you're on, you're still great at what you do and I'll be there in blue to support you. " _Bella. With that text, I instantly felt better about it and was able to fall asleep peacefully.

The next morning I got up bright and early so I could make it to the field on time, wouldn't want to be late for my first day. I was late though because of all the traffic in LA, and that is why I try to avoid it as much as possible. _Forty-five minutes late, great._ I walked up to the gates of the stadium and asked someone how to get down to the locker room and made my way there. I was almost there, and completely dreading it with every step I took until I heard my name, "Cullen!"

I turned around and saw the only person who could have that much disdain in his voice when saying my name, Jacob Black. And I was in no mood to argue with this kid; my day was already off to a horrible start. "What do you want Jacob?"

He sauntered over to me as if he was the best thing to hit this planet, "Oh, you know, not much. Just wanted to officially welcome you to the team. I figured I'd help you out, show you around, help you get to know the guys, all that stuff."

"Well, I'll save you all of the bullshit and I'm telling you right now, I don't need your help. I'm here to do my job and that's it. I don't know who you're trying to fool with this good guy act but we all know you and I hate each other and that's not going to change. Especially since Bella and I are together now." I got right up in his face so that we were chest-to-chest, "I bet that kills you, doesn't it?"

He was glaring at me and taking a lot of deep breaths, "Yeah, you know what, it does kill me. I've known Bella our entire lives and to now know that she's dating a prick like you, makes me think twice about her. I thought she was smart enough to know that she shouldn't be dating anyone like you. I told her on multiple occasions to stay away from you but she didn't listen to me. Don't worry though I'll always be there to protect her. And the second you hurt her I'm going to be there for her because everybody knows that Edward Cullen doesn't do relationships. I'm just waiting for the moment she realizes she deserves a hell of a lot better than you."

I heard footsteps running toward us, and then heard his voice, "Hey! You two! Break it up!"

Jacob stepped back and spoke first but kept his gaze on me the entire time, "No need to, Coach, nothing's going on here."

"Well it sure didn't look like 'nothing' to me." I vaguely recognized this guy from playing the team. Dave Hansen, one of the coaches for the team. He turned to me, "So, Edward Cullen is in LA now."

I took my gaze from Jacob's and looked to him, "Yes, sir."

He stuck out his hand for me to shake it, "Dave Hansen. It's nice to finally meet you, son."

I shook his hand, ensuring I had a strong handshake, "Likewise."

He clapped Jacob and I on our shoulders and started walking with us, "Well, there's no use in chit chatting up here. We've got practice going and we need this series. Jacob, head down to the field. Edward, come with me and I'll show you around."

Jacob disappeared down to the field where the rest of the team was practicing but Hansen showed me around the stadium before taking me to the locker rooms. He took me in the office and went over the rules of the team and what my own practice would be like since I had to learn all their plays and work with the guys who would be starting with me. Soon enough, I was back on a field but it was so foreign to me. There were different holes that appeared once it had been played on and it just wasn't what I was used to.

After that initial practice I spent every day leading up to the series at the field working with different coaches and all the players so I would be prepared for the games and before I knew it, it was the night before the first game in the series. I was exhausted. And I definitely had mixed feelings going into this. Jacob and I still weren't getting along and since he was the catcher we always had to work together. The other guys on the team were cool but I didn't know how my former teammates would react to me and there were just so many unknowns going into this, it made me slightly nervous. Then there was Bella. I had been so busy at the field and I was always so tired when I got home she and I had hardly spoken since I told her I was traded and with the comments that Jacob made on my first day, that didn't sit well with me at all. My relationship with Bella had nothing to do with him. I knew a long time ago that he and Bella were friends and clearly Bella could make her own decisions, I just hope he wouldn't ruin this for us. This is one reason why I missed having Bella stay with me. Without her, I always had plenty of time to go over all these random thoughts that I had and some of them were good but some, like this one, were bad. I hated thinking the worst because I just wanted things to be good between Bella and I forever. All these thoughts ran through my mind as I finally drifted off to sleep.

I woke up to the sound of a lawnmower running and looked at the clock, nine in the morning. _Great._ I sat up in bed and knew I had some time to kill before I needed to go to the field. There was only one person I wanted to see before the game. I got up and showered and called Bella, praying that she wouldn't be mad at me for not talking to her. The phone kept ringing and ringing, each one getting closer to her voicemail. "Please, pick up. Pick up, Bella. Come on."

"Hello?" _Finally!_

"Bella! Hey, how are you?"

"Oh, hey Edward. I'm well, thanks. How are you?"

"Good, good. Listen, Bella, I'm really sorry I haven't talked to you lately and I just—"

"Edward, stop. Seriously, it's fine. I know the trade is a lot to handle, especially since it's so sudden and you've been busy practicing. I get it."

"You're not mad?"

She laughed like I had just told her a joke, "No, not at all. I've been keeping myself busy. But I do miss you."

And this is why I loved her, for her honesty, "I know. I've missed you too. That's why I'm calling."

"And here I thought you were calling just because you missed the sound of my voice."

"Not only for that reason but I have some time before I need to leave and I was wondering if maybe you wanted to grab a late breakfast?"

"Sure! I'm starving. Where are we going?"

"I'll come pick you up and we can just go somewhere small?"

"Sounds good to me. How much time do I have?"

"About twenty, thirty minutes."

"See you then! Bye."

"Bye, Bella."

I was finally going to get to see her, after days of not seeing her and I couldn't be happier. I got in the Volvo and drove to Bella's going way faster than was possibly safe but we didn't have all day to spend together and I wanted as much time with her as possible. I pulled up to her house, thirty minutes later. _Right on time._ I knocked on the door and only had to knock once when Bella threw open the door and jumped in my arms and I couldn't help but kiss her. After what seemed like a pleasant eternity kissing her she pulled back and smiled, "Hi."

I put her back on her feet and grabbed her hand, "That could quite possibly be the best hello I've ever received."

I opened the passenger side door to my car as she got in, "Well, you know, I aim to please."

"And I am most certainly pleased."

She had a coy smile on her face, "Then my job is done."

I smiled at her and couldn't help but think of how much I missed her while I walked to the driver's side. The car ride was full of easy conversation, as always, and we pulled up to the little café a few minutes later. Breakfast was so quaint while Bella and I caught each other up on one another's lives, it seemed like we had missed so much. Of course, the subject of Jacob Black was brought up, which was definitely not my favorite thing to talk about but I knew it was inevitable. All too soon, we finished what was on our plates and we had to leave so I wouldn't be late, again. As soon as I pulled up to Bella's house her smile faltered and she turned to me, "I don't want to leave. Not yet, anyway."

I took a deep breath because I knew exactly what she meant, "I know. But this is my job and with the trade, I have to leave earlier. And I'm sorry we haven't spent that much time together. I wish it wasn't like this."

"It'll change though, right? I mean, eventually we'll get back into our routine and we'll see each other more than once a week, at least?"

"Of course. This is just because I've had to deal with this but I promise we'll see each other more."

Her smile was back, "Good! Now, you need to go so you can get ready and be there on time today."

"Yes, heaven forbid I be late and get into it with Jacob again."

"Edward, be nice."

"I am. He's the one who's trying to play me for a fool." I could tell she was starting to get upset with me and I knew I needed to tone it down. I wasn't going to make her mad at me after hardly seeing her. "Bella, let's not do this right now, it's not going to do anything except make both of us mad. "

I knew she wanted to say something but she held her tongue, nodded and opened the door. "You're right. So, with that I shall leave but I will see you after the game."

She started to get out of the car but I grabbed her hand, "Bella, wait."

"What?"

I pulled her to me and gave her a chaste kiss, "Thank you for coming to breakfast with me. And I truly do miss seeing you."

There it was. Her smile that I loved so much, "I know. And thank you for taking me to breakfast."

"My pleasure, Love."

She was still sitting in the car with the door opened, partially because I wouldn't let go of her hand. I just stared at her and she held my gaze until she looked away and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Edward, you're staring at me an awful lot today."

I looked away and apologized, "I'm sorry if it makes you uncomfortable. I don't mean to."

She giggled, "No, I just want to make sure it's not because I have something on my face or you're going to give me some bad news or something like that."

Little did she know it was nothing like that, not at all, simply that I loved her, more than anything else. And I wanted to tell her. I knew I didn't want to scare her away with this and that I would wait for the right moment and I think this was it. After not seeing her for so long, she still wanted to spend time with me and she wasn't mad. She was completely understanding of my schedule and she had her own life. She was honest and caring, probably the best person I've ever met and I loved her and only wanted to be with her.

"Bella, there is something I want to tell you," her smile was gone and I knew she was thinking it was something horrible, "it's not bad. I promise."

I put my hand on her cheek, studying her beautiful face, "I know this may be premature, but I can't help it and I need to tell you," _Now or never Edward._ "Bella, I love you."

Her face was blank, there was no emotion and I immediately regretted every word that just came out of my mouth. What was I thinking? How could she possibly love me, after all I've done to her, I couldn't expect her to reciprocate my feelings for her. I began to pull my hand away and was looking for a way to fix the problem I had caused until she grabbed my hand. "Edward, I'm sorry, you just caught me off guard. But, honestly," this was it. The moment she would tell me she didn't feel the same way about me and I had just screwed everything up, "I love you too."

I was shocked and that had worried her but I wasn't just shocked, I was fucking thrilled! I couldn't help the smile that showed up on my face and let out a small laugh, as did Bella. "What? Were you worried I wasn't going to say it back?"

"Honestly, yes. I thought I had just completely ruined everything that's happened between us."

She kissed me softly, "Nope, things just got a whole lot better. And as much as I want to stay here forever, you're going to be late if you don't leave soon."

I looked at the clock and realized she was right, _shit._ "Yes, I will let you go now."

She gave me one last kiss and was almost completely out of the car before she turned around again, "Oh, and good luck today. I'll be rooting for you!"

That was just what I needed to hear. "Thanks. I love you."

A huge smile spread across her face, "I love you too. See you later."

As soon as I saw Bella walk in the house I drove off, back home to get my stuff ready to play. The drive to Los Angeles was horrendous, _shocker._ But it did give me a lot of time to think about things. I saw how upset Bella got when I started to go off on Jacob so I decided I wasn't going to play his childish games anymore, I was going to put all of that aside for her. Jacob just wasn't worth it to me. I got to the field with just enough time to get dressed and be on the field for batting practice. The stadium had a whole different feel on a game day, almost similar to the one I felt in Anaheim. Of course, nothing would ever compare. The Dodgers, or, I guess my new team, did batting practice first, then the Angels went and before I knew it, the stadium was full of fans all wearing either blue or red and after the National Anthem, it was time to take the field. Games were always my favorite part of playing, it was the one time, aside from playing the piano, when I could forget everything that was going on in life and not care. It was a way for me to get out all of my emotions and today, I felt bipolar.

I told myself I was going to ignore Jacob but he just wouldn't leave it alone and kept making snide remarks about me and eventually, I just couldn't take it anymore so I decided to confront him after an inning was over because of course, the little fucker had something to say when the coach brought us in at the mound. "Jacob! I don't know what the hell your problem is but this is it. We're done. I do not care to talk to you more than necessary, meaning that on the field we will communicate, whenever we're playing baseball is when we will talk but outside of that, nothing more. I don't care what you think of me or what you have to say. So shut the fuck up once and for all."

He looked around and, again, sauntered over to me, "Newsflash, Cullen! You're not my mother so you don't get to tell me what to do. If I have something to say, you bet I'm going to say it. I don't know who you think you are, walking onto my team and acting like you're some big shot that's better than us but that won't fly around here."

I had so much more I wanted to say to him but I was up to bat soon and I wasn't going to let him get to me any more than he already had. "Fuck you."

"Yeah, how original."

I went up to bat, only to strike out and I knew why, because of Jacob. I was letting him get into my head and I hated that but I hated him more. The jabs kept coming throughout the rest of the game and when we missed a key play, he of course blamed me. And as we were at yet another meeting on the mound, he shoved me and laughed as he had yet another comment to make. "Cullen's the problem out here, making rookie mistakes that only a six-year old would make."

That was it for me. _Tit for tat _so I shoved him back, "You know, maybe we wouldn't be missing these plays if we actually had somebody who knew how to catch behind the plate rather than some kid with stone hands. Do you even realize how many pitches have gotten by you today? Or are you still trying to figure out what that thing on your hand is? Oh, and by the way, that's what we call a mitt."

And that must have been it for him because he started coming at me before Coach intervened. "Enough! From both of you! I'm not going to have this petty high school bullshit going on! Neither of you is doing that great today so neither of you have any reason to talk! Now, finish this inning so we can finish this game and then take your fight elsewhere but while you're on this field you will respect it and your teammates! Now get the hell out there!"

I was livid at this point and I just wanted to be done with this game so I could go home. I knew being traded here would do nothing but harm. Great career move, my ass. Finally, the game finished and we had lost, not that it mattered anyway. We gave the other team their high-fives, Emmett and Jasper both giving me a sympathetic look. I walked straight to the showers so I could get out of there. I wanted nothing more than to go home to Bella.

**BPOV**

I walked back into the house after breakfast with a huge grin on my face and I couldn't stop smiling. Of course, Alice and Rose noticed and demanded to know what had happened but I didn't tell them. It was too personal of a moment that was meant just for Edward and I and I wanted to keep it like that for as long as I possibly could. Before I knew it, we were ready to head to the game. The only difference this time, was that I was dressed in blue, wearing a Dodgers' shirt instead of an Angels' shirt. It felt so weird and different, yet so right at the same time. Telling Edward I had loved him was amazing because it seemed like now everything was falling into place for us.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity on the freeway, we arrived at Dodgers' stadium for the freeway series. This was one of the biggest series of the entire season and people looked forward to it and definitely went all out when representing their teams. Everywhere you looked there was either red or blue and after the National Anthem, it was time.

I watched Edward run out on the field and he looked so uncomfortable in his new jersey and then I saw Jacob who looked like he was king of the world. The game started and it was just like at Angels' stadium, a completely different atmosphere but once you got past that, it was just a game and we had fun. Then I really saw why Edward was so uncomfortable the entire time, I could tell that Jacob was telling him things and they almost got into a fight on the mound before their coach got to them. I didn't want Edward to screw this up, not during his first game. He was just having an off day and after the Angels won, Alice and Rose were going to go say hi to Emmett and Jasper so I decided to go find Edward and calm him down. I could see how upset he was as he was walking off the field.

Rose, Ali and I went our own ways, them going to the visiting locker rooms and me going to the home teams'. I had no clue where I was going so I stopped to ask an usher for directions. When I turned around the corner he had pointed to, I stopped dead in my tracks. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. I couldn't move. There, pushed up against a wall was Edward, a woman pressed against him shoving her tongue down his throat as if they weren't standing in a hallway ladened with people. What? How? Why? I couldn't form a complete thought. I couldn't feel anything and then all at once I felt everything. My breathing became labored and heavy, my heart felt like it was being ripped out of my chest and tears stung my eyes. I finally found my feet and began to run, run as fast as I could, as far as I could. I didn't care where I was going, I just needed to leave. I ran wildly, feeling as if I might black out at any second. I flew backwards when I collided with something hard.

"Whoa, Bells, what's wrong?" I vaguely heard Jacob's voice behind the fog my mind was in. I felt around blindly, realizing I had run right into his chest.

"Jake…" I breathed. I collapsed in his arms, the tears coming harder and faster, my breathing erratic and my heart ripping into two.

How could this happen? How could he do this to me? Why would he do this to me? I shook my head trying to dislodge the image from my mind, but the harder I shook it the more it seemed to stick. He had told me he loved me only hours ago. I thought he did. I'd believed he loved me. I hadn't held back; I let him in. How could he do this to me? I thought again. Why? I cried even harder, blindly allowing Jake to hold me. He kept asking me what had happened, but it didn't even register. Eventually, he said nothing, just wrapped his arms tighter around me. After some time my breathing calmed down and my sobbing was reduced to silent tears streaming down my cheeks. But the ache in my heart never subsided.

"I can't be here," I choked out and Jacob immediately scooped me into his arms, carrying me to his car. He didn't ask me where I wanted to go and I didn't care. I stared out the window at the blur that was the world seeing nothing, feeling nothing, being nothing.

**A/N: Okay! So there we have it, an exceptionally long chapter for you guys! The song used for this chapter was, "Heartbreaker," by Pat Benatar. Now, this is where the broken record comes in. Please, please, please drop us a line, we don't bite, scout's honor! We love hearing from you guys!**


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